
Glass. 
Book. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



MODERN PRACIICE 


— OF— 


CANNING MEAIS 


— BY— 


G. T. HAMEL 


#" 




V 

Copyrighted 1911 




liy 




Ti!E Gl-s \'. Brecht Butchers Supply Co. 


PUBLISHED BY 


THE BRECHT COMPANY 


ESTABLISHED 1853 


ST. LOUIS, U. S. A. 



A 



^" ., 



DEDICATED 

to my good friend and first guide 
in the food preserving industry 

PROF. A. CORTHAY 



©CI.A283590 



0\ 



^'^- Noted bacteriologists have recently published a 



> Introduction 

Noted bacteriologists have recer 
r few books on the preserving and canning industries, 
j \ but such is the extent of the matter they deal with 
i that not only the public in general, but even the 

packers and their foremen in charge, have very seldom 

gone through all the pages of those most valuable 

scientific works. 

Moreover, these books, for one reason or another, 

pa]^ very little consideration to the canning of the 

meats. 

In the following pages I will try to explain what 
meat canning is, or ought to be, and I would like to 
make the great consuming public understand that 
canned meats, when properly packed up, are just as 
wholesome as any other article of food on the market. 

I will also try to show that even small sized pack- 
ing plants can derive profits from a canning department. 

The consumption of canned foods is increasing all 
over the world. Their manufacture is now, or will 
soon be, everywhere under the inspection of skilled 
Government appointed inspectors. 

Mv consideration of the scientific theory of preser- 
vation of food products in closed vessels, and also of 
the different materials used in the manufacture of the 
containers, may help them to exercise their delicate 
duty and fully protect the public health without un- 
justly injuring the interests of the packers, which are 
also well worth consideration as being part of the 
national wealth of the same rank as other large indus- 
tries. 



I am greatly indebted to the works of Professor 
E. W. Duckwall and Dr. J. Pacrette, which have been 
a great help to me in my canning experience, and I 
wish strongly to recommend their perusal to those 
wishing to go further into the matter of the preservation 
of food products. 

Although this book is only intended to be a sum- 
mary of the modern practice of canning meats in the 
large packing houses, I have not been able to resist 
the temptation of giving the recipes of a few products 
of higher class. My excuse will be found in the follow- 
ing lines copied from the book of Dr. J. Pacrette 
already mentioned: 

"Now that the means of production are, we could 
say, unlimited, the competition is felt, the prices are 
lowered, and the packing industry alone remains a 
source of profit to the manufacturer who, by the 
quality of his goods, establishes the reputation of his 
brand. His goods are appreciated, and called for, 
because the}^ have merits besides the brutal nourishing 
principles that all food products contain. 

"Refinement of taste gains all social classes, 
palates are being more and more educated. The 
future belongs to the preserver who will keep up to 
date, to the canner who will be more anxious to 
increase the quality of his products than to increase 
his output." 

G. T. HAMEL. 
Ottawa (Canada). July, 19 lo. 



Modern Practice of Canning Meats 



Contents 

Introduction. 

Chap. I. — Preservation of food products in air-tight 
receptacles. Summary of the theory. 

Chap. II. — The vacuum theory. Exhausting or venting. 

Chap. III. — Canned m.eats containers: Tin cans, glass 

iars. 
Chap. IV. — Application of the theor}- to meat canning. 

Chap. V. — Recipes and formulas. 

Chap. VI. — By-products of the beef department, bones, 
extract of beef. • 

Chap. VII. — Miscellaneous: Auto-vacuum, Centrifugal 
dryer, canning of raw meat. 

Chap. VIII. — Inspection and legislation. 

Appendix: Tables. 



Chapter I. 

Preservation of Food Products in 
Air-tight Receptacles 

Summary of the Theory 

The decomposition of meat is due to the action 
of small living organisms called Bacteria^ Bacilli^ 
or Microbes^ which, after a certain lapse of time 
varying with their number but mainly with the sur- 
rounding circumstances, generate fermentation. • 

These organisms are found in the air, the water, 
the dust, on the tables of the canning room, the tools, 
and, in fact, everywhere, especially in the most remote 
corners where the cleaning is most difficult. 

Their size is so small that 50,000 of them can 
pass, side by side, through a pin-hole made through a 
can, without touching the metal, and the canner must 
keep in mind that their power of reproduction is such 
that we can hardly have any idea of it, especially when 
they exist under favorable conditions. 

Bacteria grow best at temperatures ranging from 
70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

I will not enumerate the different sorts of bacteria, 
nor examine their mode of reproduction, but I may 
say that most of those that the canner has to contend 
with reproduce bv spores^ a sort of seed, and that 
these spores are more hardy and resistant to destruc- 
tion b}^ heat than the living bacteria themselves. 

In fact the only practical means for the canner to 
get rid of these feiTnents and to insure the keeping of 
his products is to kill the bacteria and their spores by 
the action of heat, and this process is called "sterili- 
zation." 



Most of the adult ferments are killed by a tem- 
perature of 170 degrees Fahr., while some others require 
the boiling point, i. e., 212 degrees, for 15 minutes at 
least. 

The spores are very resistant ,to the action of heat, 
and it may be said that some of them require a tem- 
perature of 250 degrees for 30 minutes in order to be 
destroyed. 

Cold does not destroy them, nor does pressure 
seem to have much effect on them. 

The aim of the packer is to destroy the ferments 
contained in the meat and then to protect meats thus 
sterilized from the contamination of new ferments. 

In practice, the packer puts the meat into suitable 
containers made of tin plate, glass, etc., and hermeti- 
cally closes them, in order to prevent the introduction 
of new agents of fermentation, and then he will destroy, 
by the action of heat, all ferments contained in the 
air-tight receptacles. 

We know that a temperature of 250 degrees Fahr. 
will destroy not only all living bacteria but also their 
spores, but the canner soon finds out that such a high 
temperature may be injurious to certain classes of pro- 
ducts by over-cooking them and rendering them 
unpalatable or, at least, unattractive. 

Fortunately, in most cases, the action of salt or 
sugar will be sufficient to prevent the development of 
spores, and, therefore, avoid the danger of fermentation 
from their own work, while the adults will be killed b}^ 
the rather low temperature of the boiling point. The 
salt alone would have been insufficient to impede the 
disorganizing work of the latter. 

However, I wish to impress at once upon the 
mind of the canner that although heat is of great 



help in destroying the feiTnents it does not destroy 
the toxins or poisons that ma\' have been developed 
in the food products previous to canning. Hence the 
necessit}' of canning only fresh, wholesome materials 
and also the danger of ''reprocessing leaks " as will be 
exi^lained later on. 



Necessity of Keeping the Canning 
Department Scientifically Clean 

Cleanliness is absolutely necessary in the canning 
department. Bv cleanliness we mean not only the 
washing and scrubbing of the central part of the floors 
and of all parts of the machines and materials, such as 
tables, which are within sight, but the thorough washing 
of all of them in every part and especially in the small 
remote corners which an occasional visitor would have 
no idea of inspecting. 

These small remote corners are the favorite places 
chosen b)' bacteria for incubation and development and 
are frequently the cause of a good deal of trouble for the 
canner, who generally is at a loss to ascertain the cause. 

"Prompt disposition shall be made of all trimmings 
and waste material which shall be sent immediately 
to the rendering tank. If the floors and machines are 
not kept clean by the liberal use of soap, hot water, 
and disinfectants, the harmful bacteria will soon be 
present in all parts of the building in such numbers as 
to produce chemical changes when least suspected," 
says Professor Duckwall. 

We must not forget that the aim of the canner is 
for many reasons to use as short and low ''process'" as 
possible, and, in fact, the process given is very seldom 
that which theory would recommend for absolute de- 

—9— 



struction of all bacteria and spores which may attack a 
given material, and nevertheless the product keeps 
well. But it has been found in many cases of carelessly 
cleaned factories that, after a few years, or sometimes 
a few months, certain species of bacteria which had not 
been met with before suddenly grow and, suddenly 
also, a process which had always been considered 
reliable fails. As it is only after a certain time that 
the spoiling of the products may be detected, a con- 
siderable amount of goods and mone}' is lost. 

Preservatives 

Preservatives are chemicals which have the power 
of delaying the growth of bacteria in food products. 
Their use may have been, to a certain extent, helpful 
in the manufacture of some articles, such as catsups 
and sauces which are not packed in hermetically sealed 
receptacles, but the canner ought to ignore them 
entirely as sterilization by heat is certainly not onh' 
sufficieiit but safer and cheaper. 

Not very long ago it was a very frequent thing to 
meet canners who would freely use borax, boracic 
acid, salicylic acid, etc., in the manufacture of the 
pickle in which the meats had to be cured. The propor- 
tion was indeed very small and it does not appear that 
it has ever caused an}^ harm to the health of the con- 
suming public. In fact human longevity has increased 
within the last 15 years, while the consumption of 
preserved goods has also increased in great proportions. 

We must, however, give the highest approval to 
the legislation prohibiting the vise of antiseptics in 
canned goods. 

The packer who handles his meats in the proper 
way and at the proper temperature can take care of 
them without any trouble and without the aid of 
chemicals, 

—10— 



The use of saltpetre is generally allowed in small 
proportions, at least where it is customary to add it 
to the pickling elements. 

In fact, the packer does not use saltpetre as an 
antiseptic but only to suit the fancy of consumers 
who desire a red color in all cured meats. 



—11— 



Chapter II. 

Vacuum 

The use of all antiseptics for the preservation of 
food products is now prohibited in nearly all coun- 
tries, exception being made in regard to salt, sugar, vin- 
egar and smoke, and also a small percentage of saltpetre. 

In fact, chemicals are entirely unnecessary to the 
canner, and sterilization by heat is the only practical 
means to destroy bacteria. 

Now, is there any advantage to the canner in 
creating a more or less perfect vacuum in the con- 
tainers? To this question the bacteriologist answers: 
"No." The air-spaces which are left in the can being 
a good deal more easily penetrated by heat and, there- 
fore, more easily brought to the proper sterilizing 
temperature than the solids or liquids which we have 
to preserve, the bacteria contained in such air-spaces 
will be destroyed sooner than those contained in any 
other part of the receptacle. 

Therefore, in theory, it does not matter whether 
or not we create a vacuum in the receptacle, and the 
goods, when processed under similar conditions, will 
keep just as well whether the air has been expelled 
fr9m the can or not. 

Moreover, there is no machine which creates a 
perfect vacuum, and, therefore, the least particle of 
air left in the container would hold more than enough 
bacteria to start the decomposition of the product, 
and we must add that, even if it were possible to 
create a perfect vacuum, thus eliminating all bacteria 
carried with the air, this vacuum would not destroy 
the bacteria contained in the meats," broths, or jellies, 
and it has been proved that the absence of oxygen in 
the air is a great aid to the development of some of 
their species. 

—12^ 



However, in practice the canner has an interest 
to create a certain amount of \'acuiam in the cans or 
jars, for the following reasons, viz. : 

A. In the cans, to detect the leak}- ones, and to 
compress the contents. 

B. In the glass, to produce an air-tight sealing, 
by the mere fact of the atmospheric pressure on the 
lid. 

But I repeat that all attempt to preserve food pro- 
ducts with the aid only of a more or less perfect vacuum 
is entirely unscientific, and has already driven a few 
insufficiently informed packers to great financial losses. 

The exhausting of the air contained in the cans 
after they have been filled with meat can be effected 
by different processes. 

First. Exhausting hi a water bath, with the vent 
open . 

The trays filled with cans are dipped in a vat full 
of water, so that the water covers the tops of the cans 
by one or two inches. Owing to the small size of the 
vent hole (and if the temperature of the water is not 
colder than that of the cans) the water will not enter 
the inside of the can. The water is then brought to a 
boil by means of steam coils and its heat brings the 
contents of the can to a temperature near the boiling 
point, thus expelling nearlv all the, air, which bubbles 
through the vent hole. When the exhausting process 
is considered sufficient, the trays are raised and the 
vents are closed with a drop of solder at once, and 
before any chance has been given for the cans to cool. 

Water-baths, as well as steam boxes provided 
with mechanical conveyers, have been built which are 
called "continuous exhausters," and they are exten- 
sively used in \-egetable canneries where the time 
required for exhausting is short owing to the tempera- 
ture and the nature of the materials. 

—13— 



Second. Exhausting in a retort with the vent open 
is, or, I should say, has been, extensively used in the 
meat canneries. To exhaust meat cans in water, when 
the contents have been allowed to cool and the jellies 
to solidify, requires quite a time. But the heat generated 
by the steam under pressure in the retort allows the 
canner to shorten the time required. He places the 
trays full of cans, with the vent holes left open, on the 
trucks of the retort and acts exactly as if he were going 
to "process," i. ^. , he closes the door of the retort, turns 
on the steam and gets his soldering tools ready for 
tipping. When the time required has elapsed, he shuts 
off the steam, opens the door, and at once seals the 
vent holes of all the cans with a drop of solder. Then 
he pushes the trucks back into the retort, closes the 
door again and resumes the sterilizing process. 

To one who has gone through the manipulation of 
all this boiling of hot materials, there is no need to 
say that the work is rather unpleasant. 

Third. Venting cans which have been previously 
sealed. Still more disagreeable is the venting process, 
either under water or in the retort, which is sometimes 
employed for very large sizes, such as 14 lb. — Corned 
Beef for example. Here the cans are not onty capped 
but "tipped" also previous to being placed either in the 
water-bath or in the retort. Then, after a certain time, 
as the pressure exerted by the boiling juices inside the 
can would put the can out of shape, if not burst the 
seams open, a man punches a small hole with an awl in 
the top of each can, from which hot air, steam, and 
also a quantity of boiling jelly escapes, perhaps scald- 
ing the man and swamping the floor. A second man 
following him closely immediately seals the hole with 
a drop of solder. And this disagreeable work is often 
repeated a second time, after an interval of an hour, 
before the definite process is resumed. Happily for the 
meat canner the vacuum tipping machine has done 
away with this old-fashioned method. 

—14— 



The Vacuum Tipping Machine 

This machine allows the packer to get rid of the 
old-fashioned and uncleanly process of exhausting or 
venting the cans, either under water or in the steam 
retort, as I will explain in the chapter relating to 
"Corned Beef." Its introduction is of great value in 
the canning department. 

The cans are run through the machine with the 
vent open. A vacuum is created in the chamber of the 
machine by a vacuum pump. All the cans have to pass 
under a glass covering which allows the operator to see 
them as they pass. He holds in the right hand the 
handle of a soldering iron which is heated by electricity 
and the point of which works inside the ^•acuum cham- 




Vacuum Can Soldering Machine 
—15— 



ber. As the cans pass under the point of the iron the 
operator appHes the point to the vent hole, which has 
been previously covered with a small drop of solder, 
and the can is thus hermetically sealed under a vacuum, 
most of the air contained inside the can having been 
exhausted by the action of the pump. The vacuum 
is released and the cans are taken out of the machine. 
They are received by an inspector and all of them which 
have not slightly "collapsed" under the influence of the 
vacuum are considered as "leaks" and returned to the 
patcher. 

Some skill is required by the operator to properly 
"seal" the cans with this machine, but still more judg- 
ment is required by the canning foreman in order to 
make the operator do quick and neat work and at the 
Ka,me time to secure a good-looking, full can. 

There must be just enough jelly put in the can to 
fill all the empty spaces between the can and the meat 
and all the empty spaces between the pieces of meat 
when the can has undergone the vacuum process and 
collapsed. But any excess will, under the influence of 
the vacuum and of the temperature, find its way through 
the vent holes' and create trouble for the operator in the 
action of sealing the vent, as by removing the atmos- 
pheric pressure the ebullition of a liquid takes place at 
a relatively low temperature. The hotter the contents 
of the can the more tendency the jelty will have to 
boil and overflow under the vacuum. But, at the 
same time, if the operator has succeeded in perfectly 
sealing the vent, the can will collapse better when cold. 
The colder the contents of the cans are, the easier will 
be the work of the operator, but a greater degree of 
vacuum will be required in order to get the same 
collapsing of the can. 

—16— 



The above consideration^ concern canned meats 
only. 

In the canning of fruits or vegetables the object 
of the vacuum process is rather to detect the leaks, 
even before the process, as there is no necessity of 
compressing the contents. 

As the canning of so-called Pork and Beans is 
rather in the hands of the meat canners than in those 
of the vegetable canneries, I wish to say a few wotds 
about it. Pork and Beans are generally packed up in 
round cans of the shape and size called "packers." 
These cans are delivered by the can manufacturer 
with tops and bottoms convex. If the manufactured 
product shows a concave appearance at both ends it 
will be evidence of a vacuum existing inside the can, 
and, therefore, a perfect air-tight sealing. If the can- 
ner has given the goods a sufficient process he will be 
able to guarantee their keeping qualities under any 
climatic conditions. It is therefore -an advantage 
to run the cans through the "vacuum pot" and under 
a light vacuum. But in the case of round cans of the 
type of 3 Lb. "Packers," which are made of rather light 
tin plate, attention must be paid and very little vacuum 
allowed in the machine. Otherwise, and especially 
when the contents of the cans are hot, not only the 
tops and bottoms would draw in, but even the cylin- 
drical body of the can would collapse into a prismatic 
form, and have the appearance of a roughly smashed 
tin when it is entirely cold. 

Needless to say the cans are run through the 
machine in an upright position, since the vent is on 
the top. However, the operator may have to handle 
cans which cannot stand upright inside the chamber of 
the machine on account of the height. 



—17— 



The writer has exhausted quite a number of 6 lb. 
Corned Beef cans in a machine made for 2 lb. cans. 
The vent hole was tipped, then a small hole punched 
in the body of the can at the highest point of the tin 
plate, when the can was lying on one side, and the 
can was run through the machine in that position and 
the hole sealed as usual. The results proved the 
correctness of the theory advanced to support this 
process. 



-IS— 



■ 



Chapter III. 

Canned Meats Containers 
Cans Made of Tin-Plate 

Tin cans are in general use for canned meats as 
being much cheaper than glass jars. They are also 
lighter and therefore save freight charges. 

The trade has adopted sizes and shapes which the 
canner has generally to adopt unless he puts up high- 
grade fanc}'^ articles or new goods. 

The thickness of the coating of tin on the iron 
plate which constitutes the tin-plate is a great factor 
in the price. But as this coating is the preserving 
agent against rust and, therefore, against the holes 
caused by it, the canner should not seek economy in 
the quality of the tin-plate. It is admitted that a tin- 
plate shotild be guaranteed by the manufacturer to 
average at least 3 lbs. of tin per box of tin-plate (14 
by 20) in order to be fit for canning purposes. 

The canner should also obtain from the can manu- 
facturer a giiarantee that the amount of leaks caused 
by defective soldering should not exceed a certain 
given quantity. 

We are indebted to one of the most important tin 
can manufacturers in North America, the American 
Can Co., New York, for the following list showing 
what is considered standard size for staple articles. 

List 
Standard Meat Cans 





Diameter 


Height 


Opg. 


\i lb. Potted Meat Can, Key 


2%'* 


IH" 


i>r 


Mlb. 


■iw 


IM" 


IK" 


y2 lb. 


2W 


3." 

^1 6 


IK" 


J4 lb. Vienna Saus. " 


2H" 


9 A " 

-1 6 


\W' 


V'l lb. 


15" 

- 1 G 


9 9 >r 

- 1 li 


0-L." 

- 1 li 



-19— 



Standard Meat Cans — Continued 





Diameter 


Height 


Opg. 


1 lb. Vienna Saus. 


Can Key 




015// 
•^1 6 


43/o" 


2tV" 


2 lb. 


" 




4M" 


43€" 


2H" 


1 lb. Flat Roast Beef Can " 




4M" 


23^" 


2tV'' 


2 lb. Tall " 


( ( ( a 




4M" 


4M" 


2tV' 


2 lb. Flat " 


t It < 1 




5tV" 


2y&" 


2tV' 


6 lb. Tall " 


" Plain 




6" 


6H" 


2ii" 


1 lb. Lamb Tongue " Key 




4J€" 


2^" 


2H" 


y> lb. Lunch Tongue " " 




3M" 


IM" 


2M" 


l" lb. 


" " 




4M" 


2^" 


2ii" 


6 lb. Flar. Lunch Tongue Plain 


Top. 


634" 


6M" 


4" 






Bot. 


Ol 6 






lYolh.O-K Tongue Can Key 




5i^" 


C\ 1 fl 

^16 


4" 


iMlb. " " ' 


1 < ( 




5t^" 


25^" 


4" 


2 lb. " 


1 11 




^-h" 


1 3 // 
^1 6 


4" 


2Mlb. " 


1 .1 




6"- 


2ii" 


4" 


23^ lb. " 


' " 




6" 


3" 


4" 


2Mlb. " " 


' " 




6" 


3fV" 


4" 


3 lb. " 


( 1 ( 




6" 


3tV' 


4" 


6 lb. " 


Plain 




6" 


6^" 


4" 


3/0 lb. Hamburger ' 


Key 




33^" 


IM" 


1J4" 


M Ib.ChippedBeef 


' " 




3^" 


1^" 


Open 


V2 lb. ". " ' 


I ii 




m" 


13^" 


f £ 


1 lb. 


I i< 




4M" 


2%" 


(( 


6 lb. " '■ ' 


Plain 




7"- 


5M" 


(( 


1^ Pint Soup 


( <( 




234" 


3t^" 


1^" 


1 " " 


' " 




Ol 5// 

^1 6 


434" 


2tV' 


M lb. Flar. Cd. Bf. H 


ash Can Key 


Top. 
Bot. 


2W 
2M" 


\W 


234" 


M lb. " " " 


( ( t (1 


Top. 
Bot. 


334" 

2W' 


Uf" 


234". 


1 lb. " " " 


t 1 (( (( 


Top. 
Bot. 


4M" 

9 // 

01 6 


2tV' 


2>^" 


14 lb. Sq. " " 


(( <( 


Top. 
Bot. 


2Ax3A" 
23C3A" 


23i" 


134" 


1 lb. " " " 


< ( (1 


Top. 
Bot. 


2x3" 


3M" 


1^" 


2 lb. " " " 


" *' 


Top. 
Bot. 


2iix4A" 
2^3x434" 


4.1 1" 


HI" 


2 lb. (Net)Sq.Cd. 


Bf. " " 


Top. 2Mx4i^" 


Cl 1// 


HI" 






Bot. 


2^x4J^" 






6 lb. " ' " 


" Plain 


Top. 
Bot. 


^1 e-^^i 6 

3^x4%" 


9tV" 


95// 


6 lb. " " 


IC II II 


Top. 
Bot. 


434x5^" 
3iix5^" 


8>g" 


oil// 


14 lb. " " 


II II II 


Top. 
Bot. 


4ifx63^" 
43€x6tL-" 


13M" 


-ly^' 



—20— 



Standard Meat Cans — Continued 





Diameter 


Height 


Opg. 


Vx 


lb. 


Veal Loaf Can 


Key 


2x3A" 


1 1 3// 


W^' 


¥, 


lb. 


" 




3x4M" 


IW 


IW 




lb. 


., 




3^x4 J^" 


2" 


1^2" 


^ 2 


lb. 
lb. 


Bacon 




3iJx53^" 
3iix53^" 


1 3 " 
115" 


Open 


12 


lb. 


" " 




5-tVx7A" 


19" 


" 


5 


lb. 


Square Lard " 


Plain 


5^x5H" 


6+r' 


1 IS" 


5 


lb. 


Round 




6" 


6^8" 


1 1 S" 



It is recommended by all hygienists that all 
seams be soldered outside the can to prevent contact 
between the contents of the can and the lead contained 
in the solder. Meats, however, do not attack the solder 
like fruits and vegetables containing acids. 

The use of chloride of zinc as soldering flux is also 
to be avoided. Up-to-date can-makers use only a 
sokition of rosin in lard oil or, at least, a flux free from 
acids. 

All cans are assumed to have been tested by the 
maker and to be strong and air-tight. 

lVaski?ig Etnply Cans. It is always proper 
for the canner to wash the inside of the cans before 
using them. This will clean out dust and dirt, and 
also the remainder of the soldering flux. The steam- 
ing of the can after washing will have the effect of 
sterilizing the can and also of helping it to drv out 
more quickly on account of the heat. When the 
amount of the business does not warrant the purchase 
of a special machine, any mechanic or steam-fitter can, 
at small expense, work out a scheme to obtain the 
desired result. 

Standard cans have openings that are considered 
the best suitable to the class of meats to be packed in 
them. The smaller the opening is the less solder will 

-^21— 



be required for capping, and this constitutes a great 
item in the price of canned goods. 



LXUJLJ. 




Capping Machine. The capping of tins filled with 
meats is generall}^ done by hand on the bench of the 
capping machine. In this machine the cans are placed 
on revolving stands while the caps are pressed tight 
against the tops of the cans by means of adjustable 
spindles. The helper of the capper does the placing 
and fluxing of the cap while the can is revolving, and 
the capper, working along the bench of the machine, 
holding in one hand the soldering iron and in the other 
hand the solder stick and "scratch-awl," seals the caps. 

There are, of course, some automatic machines 
used by fruit and vegetable packers that may be 
utilized for meat capping; but \he.y are very expensive, 
they require the help of skilled mechanics, and it takes 
quite a time to set them up whenever a change in the 
size of the cans is required. Unless the canning of 
meats is done on such a large scale that the machine 

—22— 



will run on the same size for a long time without reset- 
ting, this investment would not be advisable. 

Soldering Flux. For capping, the use of a non- 
acid soldering flux is recommended; it meets the re- 
quirements of the pure food laws. One of the best fluxes 
I have used consists of i lb. of rosin melted over a 
slow fire with t gallon of pure lard oil. 

Since the adoption of the ^'acuum tipping machine, 
the mea,t canner has done away with the old and in- 
efficient system of detecting cap-leaks by immersion of 
the cans in a hot water bath. Any cap-leaks which 
may have escaped the attention of the inspector 
directly following the capping machine will be dis- 
covered after the sealing process under vacuum. 

Vacuum Tipping Machine^ The capped cans go 
to the vacuum sealer, vent open, and a drop of solder 
previously dipped into the soldering flux has been 
deposited right over the small vent-hole. When the 
machine is filled up with the cans the doors are closed 
and the machine chamber connected with a vacuum 
pump until the required degree of vacuum is obtained. 
Most of the air contained in the can is thus sucked 
through the vent-hole. Then, by a special mechanism, 
the cans are brought one after another under the point 
of a soldering iron heated by electricity, the solder drop 
is melted and the cans are then hermetically sealed. 
The man in charge releases the vacuum, and instantly 
all "non-leaky" cans collapse tmder the infiuence of 
the atmospheric pressure. All cans that do not show 
a concave appearance on the flat sides, or have not the 
tops and bottom drawn., are "leaks" and are returned 
for inspection. Once the weak point discovered, it is 
patched and sent to the vacuum pot again. A system 
now coming in vogue is the double-seamed can. Solder 
is not employed to seal the top to the body of the can. 
There is no opening in the top as it is double-seamed 

—23— 



on the body only after the can has been filled. Be- 
tween the flange of the body and the top, and in order 
to make a perfectly air-tight joint, a special composi- 
tion is applied which moulds itself under the pressure 
of the double-seaming machine, and has to resist the 
action of the heat in the retort, and later on the action 
of time, which is the worst of all. 

This system presents a real economy of solder and 
of labor and is especially desirable for packers of 
articles which lose value when they are cut into 
pieces in order to go through the small openings of the 
cap; such as whole fruits, and, in the case of meats', a 
whole bird, chicken or game, tongue, etc. 

This system is in fact the future of the tin can. 
But, whether or not a perfect cement, giving the same 
guarantee of permanent security as the solder, has 
been found, I can hardly say. However, many canners 
in Europe and also a few large firms in the United 
States are giving an extensive trial to this system. 

Glass Container 

Glass containers would be b}^ all means the best 
packing for canned food of every description, as they 
do not alter the taste of the goods. But they cost too 
much, their weight is very great as compared with tin 
cans containing the same amount of meat, — which means 
high freight charges, — and their processing requires 
many precautions, as the glass, when hot and sub- 
jected to inside pressure, is very liable to crack if 
cooling is allowed to take place too quickly. 

Consequentl}^, whatever may be the difference in 
taste between the same goods when packed in tin or 
in glass, the canner has to put tip with the tin can 
unless he manufactures high-grade articles. Other- 
wise the consumer would have to pay more for the 
container than for the contents. 



Canners handling a local retail trade and who are 
able to redeem the glass jar from the consumer may 
succeed in creating a profitable trade in glass jars, as 
the quality of the goods will be readily appreciated. 

Sliced bacon and sliced dried beef are extensively 
put up in glass jars by some large firms. The reason 
is that these goods, on account of their curing, i. e., 
preservation by salt and sugar, can be kept in good 
condition for a reasonable length of time without being 
sterilized by heat. But creating a vacuum is advis- 
able and will help in the keeping of the goods. In the 
case of glass jars the cured meat should be placed in the 
jar and the lid put on after a rubber has been inserted, 
which will, later on, make a perfectly air-tight joint. 
The whole is then run through the vacuum machine. 
When the vacuum is released the pressure of the atmo- 
sphere on the ■ lid will compress the rubber between 
the lid and the glass and make an air-tight joint. 

Other meat products, when put up in glass jars, 
must be processed in the same manner as tin cans. 

Different classes of glass jars have been placed on 
the market. They generalh' belong to two different 
systems as far as the sealing is concerned. 

In one class, one must rely upon the atmospheric 
pressure to keep the lid tight. In that case the jars 
would be processed under steam pressure in closed 
retorts. A special device, in the form of a removable 
spring made of steel band, is in a moment adapted to 
the lid. In the retort the contents of the jars are 
brought to the boiling point or over. When the pro- 
cess is completed the steam is shut off and allowed to 
escape from the retort. But the contents of the jar 
keep on boiling for a moment and, as the outside pres- 
sure is released, some steam escapes from the inside of 
the jar, carrying away most of the air contained in it. 

— 25— 



Then, with the cooHng of the jar, the boih'ng stops, 
the vapors condense, creating a vacuum, and the atmos- 
pheric pressure squeezes the lid tightly against the 
rubber ring. The rubber having been softened by the 
heat of the steam readily moulds itself between the 
glass and the lid. 

However, I regret to say that experience has 
proved that sooner or later, and very likely on account 
of the alteration in the nature of the rubber ring due 
to the effect of time, the air will find its way through. 

Therefore, these packages, although very con- 
venient in many circtinastances, do not offer alDsolute 
guarantee of long keeping. 

In the second class the joint is pressed down 
tightly between the lid and the glass by a machine 
exerting a pressure of several hundred pounds per 
square inch. Then the same machine applies a metal 
ring Avhich will maintain that pressure indefinitely after 
the action of the machine has been released. The 
goods are then processed. No vacuum exists, and we 
know that it has no influence on the keeping of the 
goods. An air space must be left between the top of 
the goods and the lid in order to provide for the expan- 
sion of the goods under the action of the heat in the 
retort or the water-bath. Otherwise the glass would 
crack. 

In this system the joints are made of various 
substances, cork, rubber, cardboard, specially prepared 
paper, etc., according to the different materials to be 
packed, and a thin sheet of pure tin foil should be 
inserted between the contents of the jar and the joint, 
which prevents decomposition under the influence of 
the oil or acids. 

It would seem that this last described system of 
closing glass jars, although it involves the purchase 
of a double-seaming machine, is by far the safest for 
long keeping. 

—26— 



Chapter IV. 

Application of the Theory to the 
Meat Canning Industry 

The operator being sure that the meats he intends 
to pack are wholesome, sound and in first-class condi- 
tion, should "stuff" a given amount of meat into a tin 
or glass container, seal the container hermetically, and 
submit it to the required degree of temperature to 
insure the destruction of all ferments, thus insuring the 
good keeping of the contents for years and under any 
conditions as long as the receptacle remains air-tight. 
The canning of meats dift'ers somewhat from that of 
liquids, such as soups; also from that of fruits and 
vegetables. 

Fresh beef, for instance, holds about 409^* of 
elemental moisture, most of which separates from 
the solid constituents under the action of the heat; as 
every cook knows. 

Should the experimenting apprentice-canner fill 
a can with fresh beef as tightly as possible, seal it and 
"process" it, /'. e., submit it to the required degree of 
temperature to insure good keeping under all conditions 
of outside temperature, his surprise will be great upon 
opening it — for he will find a few small pieces, poor in 
color, swimming in the center of a soup of disagreeable 
appearance, in fact an unsightly product. 

The appearance of the goods is a great factor in 
the sale of canned meats, as in that of every kind of 
food products. 

—27— 



Consequently, the meat-canner has had to dis- 
cover some means to remedy this difficulty. There 
are several ways to overcome the trouble, which will be 
explained later on. But that simple little matter of 
the separation of fresh meat into solids and liquids 
under the action of heat is the only cause that 
makes the canning of meats so different from the can- 
ning of other food products, and that will always make 
canned meats have a different appearance from meats 
cooked in the kitchen range, although just as whole- 
some and nutritive when rationally prepared. Another 
point well worth consideration is the following: The 
liquids expelled from fresh meat by heat are not pure 
water. On the contrary they retain a great part of the 
nutritious elements of the meat. 

When cooking the .meat in a kitchen range it 
matters little, because, later on, these liquids are used 
for food in the form of broth, gravy, sauces, etc. The 
hotel chef is aware of this fact and saves all these 
valuable liquids to make his "stock" which is the 
base of nearly all his gravies or sauces. The modern 
meat-canner now does the same, saving, by concen- 
trating, the above mentioned liquids, and selling the 
manufactured product under the name of beef extract 
or by any other name that may be suggested by the 
advertising manager. 

It may be said that loo lbs. weight of boned beef 
completely deprived of all soluble matter leaves 4% 
of dried extract. The commercial, so-called, "solid" 
extract still retains 20% of moisture, and the so-called 
"fluid" extract is made by the addition of 40 parts of 
water to 60 parts of solid extract. 

The manufacture of these extracts will be given 
later on, and m}^ present object is only to show the 
packer of canned meats the loss he sustains when send- 

—28— 



ing his "soak" and "cook" waters to the drain instead 
of converting them into a product which is at present 
worth $1.50 per pound. 

If the "stock" of the hotel cook is the base of his 
sauces, the extract of the canning room is the base of 
most of the canned soups, as I will explain in due 
course. 

Modern Practice in Large Meat 
Packing Plants 

There is a considerable difference between the 
methods of preparing meats for the canning depart- 
ment employed in the large beef packing plants and 
those of small meat canneries preparing only fancy and 
high priced dishes. 

We will describe the methods of the large canners 
only. Their aim has been to complete their packing 
house by the addition of a new department which may 
help them to sell part of their products under a different 
form. Having selected for this department, as well as 
for the others, the best scientific and mechanical means 
of work, they have succeeded in placing upon the mar- 
ket goods which are not only a wholesome article of 
food but, at the same time, are so cheap that no private 
house can afford to put up the same amount of meat at 
the same price, and thus they have become the great 
suppliers of armies, camps, mines, prospectors, sports- 
men, etc. 

The small meat-canner who is rather a preparer 
of high-grade articles, ready to serve dishes for con- 
sumers of fancy goods, does not need to be taught 
how to cook and season his goods, as he is generally a 
cook by trade and has competent assistance of that 
class. Nevertheless he may derive some profit from 
a perusal of the following pages. 

—29— 



I will treat, therefore, only of the' manufacture of 
staple articles, as put up by the large packers, with 
the object of making my readers familiar with methods 
which should enable them to prepare an unlimited 
number of different products intended to suit consumers 
and the trade in every country. 

In fact such large establishments as are found in the 
United States pack every kind of canned meat accord- 
ing to the requirements of the different nations they 
cater for and the specifications of their governments. 
They are prepared to give satisfaction to the Japanese 
or to the Mexican as well as to the European customers. 

Curing of Meats 

To "cure" meats, is to have them undergo a pro- 
cess, a treatment of salt and sugar, to which is some- 
times added a small amount of saltpetre, which will 
modify the color, composition and flavor of the meat 
and greatly aid in its preservation under ordinary 
circumstances. 

Curing also brings modifications, alterations in the 
natural state of the meat by adding or subtracting 
moisture, etc. 

The addition of such harmless but in fact very 
powerful preservatives as salt and sugar allows the 
canner to process the meat without running it through 
an excessive degree of heat, as has been already 
explained in treating of the theory. 

The alterations in the percentage of natural 
moisture has a great influence on the shrinkage of the 
meats after boiling and, therefore, on the yields of the 
meats used in the canning department. These con- 
siderations are sufficient to induce the canner to make 
a careful and complete study of the various curing pro- 
cesses. He will, find them described in all publications 

—30— 



pertaining to the meat packing industry. Therefore 
my intention is not to describe them particularly but 
only to summarize their effects in connection with the 
canning department. 

By curing the meats with dry salt and sugar, which 
is called dry curing, a certain percentage of their 
elemental moisture is absorbed by dissolution with, the 
curing elements, salt and sugar, which surround them, 
and a corresponding shrinkage in the weight of the 
meat is observed. When boiling dry-salt meats, the 
shrinkage due to the cooking will be less than that 
observed in regard to the same meats cured in salt 
solutions. 

On the contrary siveet pickle meats, i. e., meats 
that have been cured by immersion in a solution of salt 
and sugar in water, will absorb a certain amount of the 
water of the solution and increase notably in weight. 
This increase is often from io% to 15%- But, when 
boiling this meat, the shrinkage will be greater than 
that observed on dry-salt meats. 

However, it is a fact proved by practical experience 
that, everything being considered from the start, sweet 
pickle meats give a better yield than dry-salt meats in 
the canning department. In all modern j^acking houses , 
the pickling of meats is now done in cellars where the 
temperature is maintained by artificial refrigeration at 
temperatures ranging from 36 to 40 degrees Fahr. 

The higher the temperature is the quicker will be 
the action of the curing elements, but the pickle will 
also have more tendency to spoil and a more careful 
watching of the meats will be required. Personally I 
have, for a period of 6 years, ctn-ed corned beef in a 
cellar well protected against the sun but without any 
artificial refrigeration and I have obtained results which 
have sur]3rised many packing-house men. But the over- 

—31— 



hauling was frequent and the man in charge was 
vigilant. Under such conditions the meat was some- 
times cured very quickty, and it was an advantage in 
the case of rush orders. 

The heavier a piece of meat, the longer the time 
required for the curing elements to penetrate to the 
very center of the piece, i. e., the longer is the time 
required for fully curing the meat. 

The foreman of the canning department when 
receiving the meat from the cellar should carefully 
examine it and assure himself that the meat is per- 
fectly cured. He should cut two or three of the larger 
pieces right in the center. Fully cured meat will show 
an even color all through. Insufficiently cured pieces 
will be detected by the gray appearance of the centei 

It is not very often that the packing house has so 
many orders for canned meats that it will be necessary 
to reduce the curing time. This has, however, happened 
in war times, and, in any case, the longer the meat is 
kept in the pickling cellar the more refrigeration will 
it require. Refrigeration is an item in general expenses. 
Moreover the interest on the money applied in the pur- 
chase of meat increases the output price, and, after all, 
the keeping of the meat is absolute^ certain when in 
cans and cannot be considered quite as safe in the 
cellar. 

Much has been said lately about shortening the 
time of curing the meat without "pumping" it. One 
of the devices is the following: The meat is placed in 
a metal box and is then covered with the pickle. A 
lid is applied to the box which fits so as to make a 
perfectly air-tight joint. Then the top of the box is 
connected with an air pump and a vacuum is created. 
All the air contained in the tissues of the meat is thus 

—32— 



expelled, creating in the meat a kind of a porous state. 
Then the vacuum is released, the atmospheric pressure 
on the surface of the pickle forces it into the empty 
spaces, and, in order to hasten the process, an air 
pressure is applied to the surface of the pickle, as high 
as TOO lbs. to the square inch. A few minutes later 
the pressure is released, the lid raised off and the meat 
sent to the cellar. I have not vet had an opportunity 
of experimenting with the svstem, but it seems worth 
making a trial. 

As already stated, I have not the intention of giv- 
ing any pickling formulas or recipes for use in the 
pickling cellar. In fact, pickle used for curing beef 
for the canning department is made of 65 to 70 degrees 
strong plain salt pickle to which is added a proportion 
of about 3 5 lbs. of saltpetre for each i ,000 gallons. Sugar 
is also added, but here the packers differ widely, since 
one will only use 80 lbs. of sugar per 1,000 gallons 
while another will use 300 lbs. for the same quantity. 
The latter is the right one, not only because it pro- 
duces a better quality, but also because the sugar 
serves as a kind of food for the meat and will greatly 
decrease the shrinkage in cooking. 

The pickle should always be boiled and skimmed 
in order to get rid of all impurities contained in the 
water, salt and sugar, and to sterilize the whole mass, 
but it must not be applied to the meat until entirely 
cold. The sketch which I am giving shows a very 
convenient set of tanks for the preparation of the 
pickle when large quantities may be required at the 
same time for quickly cooling the same. 

The small canner will boil his pickle in jacketed 
kettles and let it cool without artificial means. 

(See tables of salt solutions in Appendix.) 
—33— 



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-34— 



Processing 

To process is to submit a tin can or glass jar to a 
certain temperature and for the certain time necessary 
to insure that fermentation will be absolutely pre- 
vented in the contents as long as the receptacle is 
maintained perfectly air-tight. 

Theory teaches us what temperatures are necessary 
to destroy all sources of fermentations, t. e., to destroy 
the bacteria and their spores. In practice the canner 
has but very seldom to reach the theoretical point of 
sterilization, as he will be helped out by the presence 
of salt and sugar, which are harmless but powerful 
preservatives against the development of spores. 

In most cases the aim is therefore to destroy the 
bacteria only. 

But in order that they may be totally destroyed 
the given temperature must' reach the very center of 
the ca/n, and, consequently, the larger the can, the 
longer the time required for the processing of the same 
class of goods. 

The aim of the packer is to sterilize the product 
thoroughly, but, at the same time, to avoid overcook- 
ing, which would impair the quality of the product. 

In order to ascei^tain whether the required tem- 
perature has reached the center of a certain sized can, 
the canner inserts a small self-registering thermometer 
(specially constructed for that ]HU-pose) in the center 
of a can filled with the material to be tested, seals the 
can as usual, puts a special mark on it, and, when the 
batch is out of the retort, opens it and reads the 
temperature obtained at the center of the can 

Open J "a/ Process. Processing can be made in 
boiling water. Cans or jars should be immersed in 
cold water, the temperature of the water brought to 
the boiling point by means of steam, and the goods 

—35— 



kept in the boiling water for the required time. The 
time as indicated in the annexed tables starts from the 
moment the water begins to boil. 




Horizo'ntal Steam Retort 



Steam Retort. Processing can also be made at a 
higher temperature than that of boihng point under 
steam pressure in closed retorts either in dry steam or 
in water. Retorts are placed vertically when processing 
under water is required, and horizontally for dry steam 
process. 

Both systems have about the same practical effect 
on meats, although I have noticed in practice that long 
process in water has a better effect on the color of the 
meat and gives a more tender product than a quick 
dry steam process under high temperature. 

Processing in Salt Solutions. B}^ adding common 
salt in certain proportions to water, the boiling point 

—36— 




Upright Process Ki-ttle 



of the solution is raised. Chloride of calcium permits 
of reaching a still higher point and these two solutions 
are sometimes in use amongst the canners to process 
at a higher temperatiu^e than 212 degrees Fahr. in open 
vats. 

Oil, which only boils at a very high temperature, 
has also been tried. These baths have, of course, to be 
heated by closed steam coils. However, after trial, the 
system has been abandoned by many of the large meat 
canning plants for some reason or another. 

Cooling the Cans. When the meat has been suffi- 
ciently sterilized to insure its keeping, there is no 
further need to keep it cooking. In fact, all kinds of 
meats are always rather too much cooked after the 
necessary sterilizing process. The cooking continues 
for a time in cans going out very hot from the retort 
and piled tight, especially in big piles. For this reason 

—37— 



a good long sprinkling of cold water by some convenient 
device is to be recommended. 

Cooling Glass Jars. Great care must be taken in 
the cooling of glass jars. Instructions are generally 
supplied by the glass manufacturers. As a general 
rule, the heating process, either in water or steam, 
must be very slow, and, in cooling, the rule as to a very 
gradual change of temperature must be even more 
strictly observed. Cold air drafts and the piling of glass 
jars on cold metal tables is generally the cause of a 
great percentage of cracks. 

Testing Value of Sterilization. Incubators — Since 
we know that temperatures between 7 o and 1 00 degrees 
are -the most favorable for the growing of bacteria, in 
order to be sure that the product will keep under any 
climatic conditions, the canner should select a few cans 
from each batch and keep them for a few days in a 
closed receptacle similar to the hot-boxes called 
"incubators" by the bacteriologists. This should be 
a simple closet, with shelves made of slats, to insure 
the circulation of the air inside, and a steam coil should 
be placed along the bottom to keep a constant temper- 
ature of about 90 degrees. 

If cans swell in the closet the process is insuffi- 
cient. Doubtful cans may also be tried in this incubator. 

Danger of Reprocessing Leaks 

It must be first understood that I am speaking 
only of leaky cans that may be found defective after 
they have stood in the piles for several days. 

The following remarks do not apply to leaks 
immediately discovered when the goods are passing 
out of the retort. 

In order to be thoroughly understood by the 
reader, I think that I cannot do better than to repro- 

—38— 



duce the following lines extracted from the highly 
remarkable book of Professor E. W. Duckwall, on the 
"Canning of Food Products, with Bacteriological 
Technique": 

"In order that packers may more fully tmder- 
stand the danger of putting out reprocessed leaks, let 
us look into the stibject from various points of view: 

"I. — There is danger of ptomaines forming in 
putrescible food. 

"II. — There is danger of pathogenic molds and 
yeasts gaining entrance to acid foods. 

"III. — There is danger of tin and lead poison. 

"IV. — The qviality is extremely poor and, there- 
fore, detrimental to the packers' reputation. 

"A ptomaine is a complex chemical compound 
formed in several ways, principally as a product 
elaborated by certain bacteria belonging to the putre- 
factive class. Ptomaine poisoning is much more com- 
mon than generally known. . . . Usually in such 
cases the food does not by any peculiar taste or odor 
indicate the presence of an injurious substance. 
The chemical changes are rapid and the ptomaines may 
be found when unperceived decomposition is taking 
place. . . . It is well known fact that tin and 
lead compounds are poisonous. . . . Canned goods 
which become swelled because of leaks have formed 
considerable acid and gas by the action of the bacteria 
and when worked over must contain tin and lead in 
appreciable amount. . . . Every can of goods you 
send out will probably reach a consumer who is look- 
ing for something good to eat; every package will 
either make a friend or an enemy for your brand. . . . 
Conclusion: Cut the leaks open, empty them and send 
the contents to the dump, or wash them away in the 
sewer." 

—39— 



Please remember that Dr. Duckwall has been a 
canner himself and is not only a noted bacteriologist 
but a practical man, and above all a friend to all can- 
ners. Therefore his advice must be considered as 
impartial. 

Remarks 

The boiling temperature of water at the same 
altitude being always the same, the canning foreman 
needs no instruments to watch it when he is processing 
goods under water. 

But processing in closed steam retorts is a different 
proposition. The pressure in the steam generating 
boilers is liable to vary and, unless a special steam 
pressure reducing valve has been provided on the 
steam line just before the retort connections, a constant 
watch at the steam-gauge will be required. 

Never use high pressure steam-gauges; use low 
pressure gauges. 

Do not rely entirely upon the steam-gauge. It 
is liable to get out of order. 

Your retort should be fitted not only with a reliable 
low pressure steam-gauge, but also with a first-class 
thermometer showing the actual temperature of the 
steam in the retort, and, by comparison, the pressure. 
This is, in fact, the only reliable instrument for the 
man in charge of the processing. 

Cooling the Cans 

When a sufficient "process" has been given to the 
canned goods to thoroughly sterilize the contents and 
thus insure perfect keeping the cans should be cooled 
immediately in order to stop the cooking process. If 

—40— 



the cans are piled while hot in the labeling room, 
those in the center of the pile will keep hot for many 
hours and this is liable to be detrimental to the quality 
of the product. 

When cans have been processed in open vats under 
water the proper thing is to turn on the cold water 
until the cans are sufficientlv cool. 

The same may be said with regard to cans which 
have been processed in upright retoi'ts. 

When the cans have been processed in the hori- 
zontal steam -box, a very convenient device to cool 
them is as follows: The trucks are taken out of the 
retort and kept on the tracks. A system of perforated 
water pipes is hung from the ceiling and sprinkles water 
on top of the trucks like a shower bath. 

When the cans are cool enough the}" must be 
cleaned of all the dirt and fatt}" matters which adhere 
to their surface. In the small plants this work is done 
by hand, and a convenient and economical method is to 
rub them vigorously in a box full of sawdust. In 
larger plants the cans pass through the "can washer." 
This is a machine where an endless conveyor carries 
the cans first through a hot-water bath, where lye or 
caustic soda has been previously dissolved, and then 
through a second bath or running water. 

The clean cans are carried to the labeling room. 
It is customary to lacquer or paint meat cans, or at 
least the two ends which are not protected by the 
label. This prevents rusting of the tin plate. When 
the lacquer is dry the label is applied. 

Hand labor is generally used in the lacquering and 
labeling room of the meat canning plants. The square 
shape of most cans prevents the use of painting and 
labeling machines which perform such cheap and neat 
work in fruit and vegetable canneries. 

—41— 



It is not advisable to label and box immediately. 
Whatever may be the skill of the inspector of leaks, 
there will always be a certain number of leaks which 
have not been detected, or which have been created, 
during the sterilizing process. These leaks will become 
"swells" later on. They will develop naturally and 
show their defects if the cans are kept for a few 
days in a warm room. If you put your cans in boxes 
right away these swells will be detected only by the 
retailer and greatly injure your trade. I would advise 
the use of a special "waiting room," kept at a temper- 
ature of about 85 degrees Fahr., where the cans could 
be piled up and kept for a fortnight before boxing. 

The last inspection is made by the boxing man, 
who should be reliable and vigilant. All cans which 
he is suspicious about should be put away for further 
examination by the foreman of the canning depart- 
ment, and, should some of them be doubtful on careful 
examination by the latter, they should be subjected 
to the test in the "incubator" before being considered 
as good for shipment. 



-42— 



Chapter V. 

Recipes and Formulas 
Corned Beef 

Corned beef is generally received by the Canning 
Department all cured and ready to be cooked. The 
Canning Department has only to ascertain its quality. 

Corned beef is generally put up in square flaring 
cans called #i, 7^2, #6, #14. The 6s and the 14s 
must be net weight, i. e., the contents when unpacked 
must weigh 6 lbs. and 14 lbs. net. The trade requires 
for all of them, but especially for the 6s and 14s, that 
the contents when impacked under a reasonably cool 
temperature form a solid block easily sliced on the 
counter of the retailer. The meat must be well trimmed, 
free from sinews, gristle and skirtings, and present all 
over a bright reddish-pink color. 

In order to reach these desiderata, the corned 
beef, as it is received from the pickling cellar, is in- 
spected in regard to its quality and its percentage of 
salt. 

It is always advisable to wash it in cold water, to 
free it from old pickle, and almost always the canning 
foreman will have to soak it in cold water over night 
to dissolve the excess of salt. This soaking water 
should be pumped to the evaporating room for extract 
purposes. 

The corned beef should then be boiled either in 
steam-jacketed kettles or in tanks heated b}' per- 
forated steam coils. In fact, since the corned beef 
cooking waters are not much good for extract purposes, 
giving it a kind of "cheesy" taste, the latter system of 
boiling is generally in use as being more economical in 

—43— 



consumption of steam and as the canner has no wish 
to keep the cooking waters concentrated. 



: I 





Meat Boiling Box 

There is no general rule to regulate the length of 
time required for this first boiling of corned beef. 
It depends upon the quality of the meat and also upon 
the temperature of the boiling water. 

The writer has been in charge of a plant located 
some 5,000 feet above sea level, where water boiled at 
about 2 03 K degrees Fahr . , instead of 2 1 2 . It was found 
that the meat had to be boiled nearly twice the length 
of time required under ordinary circumstances. If the 

—44— 



meat is too much cooked, the shrinkage by ehmination 
of constituent liquors is considerable and is a great loss 
in weight, and, therefore, in money to the packer. It 
is also a loss to the consumer in nutritious elements. 
If the meat is not enough boiled we will have the 
repetition of our experience in canning raw meat, and 
the product will be of a disagreeable appearance and 
unsalable. Every canner will, therefore, have to study 
what is required for his local conditions and the sugges- 
tions which I give below are onh- intended to start him 
on the right track. It is customary in many canning 
plants to boil corned beef for a certain time, say 




Rotary Meat Cutter 



20 minutes, and then shut off the steam and let the 
meat soak in the hot cooking water for another 40 
minutes. This is supposed to lessen the shrinkage which 
sometimes reaches 38% when the meat is boiled for one 
hour, as it is customary in other places. 

—45— 



The corned beef, when boiled, is forked out of the 
boihng vats, trimmed on the trimming table, to free 
it from all sinews and skirting, and cut in small pieces 
to suit the size of the opening of the tin cans. Some 
canners slice the corned beef in the power rotary cutter 
previous to boiling in order to reduce the time of cook- 
ing; this leaves very little hand -work to be done after 
cooking. Others do nearly all the trimming on the 
fresh meat before it is sent to the pickling cellar, and 
cook the meat in the condition in which it comes from 
the pickling vats. But after the boiling they pass the 
meat through the "Mammoth" meat-cutter which 
reduces the meat into pieces suitable for the stuffing 
machines without any hand work. 

I have seen both methods employed with equally 
good results. However, I consider the second as prefer- 
able, when there is no rush in the boning room, as I 
do not see any good reason for pickling trimmings, 
which have to be rejected afterwards. 

The meat then passes into the hands of the scaler 
who weighs the amount of meat required to fill the can, 
and he, or his helper, places the proper quantity of 
meat in the hopper of the stuffing machine. 

Whatever may be the kind of stuffing machine in 
use, either the single stuffer or the rotary machine, the 
cans should be prepared in advance and a certain 
amount of "stock" deposited inside before they are 
placed under the hopper. 

The "stock" is a jelly which everyone can prepare 
by dissolving i lb. of white sheet edible gelatine in a 
gallon of water. Pork packers often prepare this 
jelly by a long ebullition of rinds, snouts, pigs' feet, 
etc. Calves' feet give also a very good jelly. 

Coloring this jelly slighth'- b}^ the addition of 
burnt sugar or dark syrup adds to the appearance of 

—46— 



the finished product. The quantity of stock which is 
generally added to the meat is given at the end of each 
special class of product described later on. The plunger 
which is working inside the hopper of the stuffing 
machine presses the meat into the can. This can, 




Rotary Can Stuffer 



roughly filled, is .seized bv a second scaler who care- 
fully examines its weight, picks off the excess of meat 
or adds the necessary quantity o'n top of the can in 
order to balance the scale as set up by the foreman. 

Next come the operators who finish the stuffing by 
hand with a wooden stick in order to push the meat 
low enough so that it may not interfere with the work 
of the capper; then the wipers wipe the top of the can, 
and especially the groove where the cap sits, as this 



-47- 



part must be perfectly clean and free from all particles 
of meat in order to insure a neat and perfect capping. 
Put the caps on the cans, pass them to the helper 
of the capper who places the cans under the spindles 
of the machine, rub the groove with a small brush 
wetted in the soldering flux, and finally take them out 
when capped and the solder hard enough, and if the 
inspector is satisfied that the capping is good, i. e., 
that there is no hole left which would allow the air to 
pass through later on, the can is ready for the venting 
process. 

I have already explained that the venting process 
has for its object the creation of a partial vacuum 
inside the can. This vacuum will make the can 
"collapse" slightly under the effect of the outside 
atmospheric pressure, i- e., the square cans of the 
corned beef type will show on the sides a slightly 
concave appearance, and the round cans will have tops 
and bottoms "drawn." If, after venting, the can does 
not show the appearance above described, there must 
be a hole somewhere through which the air has been 
able to pass and destroy the vacuum, and this hole 
must be detected and patched immediately, and the 
vacuum applied again. 

The grocer knows this fact and does not consider 
as good, a can which gives a springy reaction under 
hand pressure. 

As we have explained in previous chapters, not 
long ago the "venting," or exhausting of the air was 
made "under water" or "in the retort." To-day, it is 
only for the 14s that the above systems are still in 
use, on account of their size. But, nearly everywhere, 
the IS, 2S and 6s are exhausted with the aid of the 
vacuum tipping machine which does quicker and 

—48— 



cleaner work and saves considerable handling of the 
cans. At the same time, the cans collapse immediately 
and the leaks can be detected and repaired instantly. 

The following table is given only as a help and 
reference to canners intending to use standard size 
corned beef cans. It shows the amount of cooked 
meat and stock which are generally stuffed in each 
size. Also the vacuum in inches of mercury which is 
generally used when running the filled cans through 
the vacuum tipping machine. 

The length of process is given for sterilization in 
open vats under boiling water, as this process seems to 
give better results for corned beef. The quality is 
superior, and, owing to the previous "cure" in salt, 
there is no danger of further fermentation. 

However, the length of the process can be greatly 
shortened by processing in the steam retort at a higher 
temperature as will be shown in the tables at the end 
of the volume. 

Corned Beef 



SIZE 


MEAT 


JELLY 


Vacuum 


PROCESS 


I 


13 K oz. 


}i oz. 


21 


3 hrs. 30 min, 
under water. 


2 


27 OZ. 


I oz. 


21 


4 hrs. under 
water. 


6 


5 lbs. II oz. 


6 oz. 


21 


6 hrs. under 
water. 


14 


13 lbs. 2 oz. 


16 oz. 


20 


I hour 45 min. 
open vent in the 
retort under 4 
lbs. pressure. — 
Then 5 hrs. 15 
min. under wa- 
ter with closed 
vent. 



—49— 



Roast Beef 

The preparation of so-called "roast beef" is a 
different proposition from that of corned beef. 

A few years ago roast beef was in fact a kind of 
short and mild cured corned beef. To-day, and not 
without reason, the trade does not want any more 
"roast beef" with the corned beef appearance. The 
product is required to present a rather gray or at 
least a light pink color like that of cold overdone 
home-baked roast beef. 

To bake roast beef rare in a kitchen range and 
stuff it into cans would not give the produce that one 
would expect. For the reasons already explained at 
the beginning of this book, i. e. , on account of the pro- 
cessing of the can, the meat would simply turn out like 
a piece of boiled beef in cooking soup. 

In canned roast beef the baking of the meat 
results from the high temperature of the process in the 
retort (240 degrees Fahr.). 

Previously, the meat should be slightly boiled, or 
rather cooked in a steam oven, in order to expel the 
constitutive liquids as in the case of corned beef; the 
consumer expects a solid piece of meat and does not 
wish to buy broth or gravy. 

Not only in order to bake the meat, but also in 
order to inspire the perfect keeping of the product, the 
roast beef has to be processed at a very high tem- 
perature. Here, indeed, the canner has not the pres- 
ence of a highly salted meat and his security against 
the action of spores is lessened. He must, therefore, 
try to destroy not only the bacteria, but also the 
spores by the use of a high temperature. 

When the product is required to be entirely gray, 
no previous cure is advisable, but the fresh meat should 

—50— 



be soaked in iced water for 12 hours before canning, in 
order to get rid of the blood. 

Should a certain pink color be desired, a short 
cure of 72 hours in the following pickle has given 
splendid results, viz.: Water 100 gallons, sugar 100 
lbs. The pickling vat has to be kept in the cooler at 
a low temperature. 

The soaking water of the first process, as well as 
this sort of sugar pickle, should be saved for extract 
as they give a splendid product. 

Where the cooking waters are not saved for 
extract the salt that has to be used in order to make 
the product palatable may be added in the cooking 
kettle. 

But the roast beef cook waters are of so much value 
for extracts that, if extract is made, I would recommend 
boiling the meat in steam- jacketed kettles in a very 
limited amount of water and without any addition of 
salt. 

The salting of the meat will then be done either 
by dissolving the necessary amount of salt in the 
jelly (stock) or by putting the required amount of salt 
directly into the cans previous to stuffing. Below are 
figures for the latter system. Needless to say the 
seasoning can be modified in order to suit the taste of 
the consumer. 

R. B. 



Size 


Meat 


Jelly 


Salt 


Vacuum 


I 


I3K 


2 


>2 oz. 


23 


2 


25 


3 


I OZ. 


23 


6 


88 


8 


3K OZ. 





Process 



2 hrs. at 10 lbs. 

2}i hrs. at 10 lbs. 

2 hrs. open vent in 
retort at 4 lbs., then 
2X hrs. closed at 9 lbs. 



—51- 



Tongues 

Ox tongues, pig tongues, lamb tongues, are also 
part of the staple articles in the list of canned meats. 
They are treated in a manner similar to that for corned 
beef as far as curing and cooking are concerned. But 
they are put up whole, and, therefore, the stuffing has 
to be done by hand. 

On account of the dimensions of the pieces the 
openings in the cans are comparatively large, and a 
little skill is required in order to pack a can that will 
look nice and full when opened. Still more skill is 
required for the filling of glass jars where it is very 
important that the meat should touch the glass all 
around and look neat and bright, with as little jelly as 
possible. 

The hole remaining in the center of the package is 
filled with trimmings. 

The tongues are cooked according to the time 
given below as an average. Owing to the high prices 
prevalent for canned tongues it seems time that more 
attention should be paid to their seasoning than is 
generally done. 

When cooked, the tongues are skinned and trimmed. 
The skin of the tongues is very easily removed when 
they have been fully cooked. The average time of 
boiling the tongues is the following : 

Ox-tongues 2 hours. 

Pig tongues 1% hovu". 

The boiling water will show on the surface a cer- 
tain amount of fat which is well worth saving. The 
tongues for canning purposes must also be trimmed, as 
only the lean part is put up in tins or glasses. There- 
fore, all fat as well as all bones from the gullet 
should be removed. 

—52— 



The fat trimmings are sent to the tallow depart- 
ment, and the lean trimmings, which are not employed 
for filling the center of the can, may be chopped for 
the manufacture of potted tongues, or used in the 
sausage department. 

All of these trimmings go to the credit of the 
canned tongue article. 



Ox tongues are generally packed up in sizes 



called 



1/ 



2, 2j 



3 and 6; Pig tongues, generally 



called "lunch tongues." are packed up in sizes called 

%, I and 6s. 

Ciiviiig. The curing of the tongues is similar to 
that of beef, generally speaking. The tongues, how- 
ever, have to receive special attention on account of 
the blood and saliva with which they are covered. 
Passing them through a revolving washer as soon as 
they are taken from the head is to be highly recom- 
mended. If this is not possible the tongues have to be 
washed careftilly in lukewarm water and then sent to 
the cooler where they are hung, points down. When 
perfectly chilled they should be, first cured in strong 
plain pickle for a day at least This will remove all 
saliva and the tongues are then ready for ciu-ing in 
sweet pickle. 



Stuffing, Jellying, and Processing Table 





Size 


Meat ' 


Jelly 


Vacuum 


Process 


Ox 


1 lb. 6 oz. 


3oz. 


21 


3 hrs. 15 water 


" 


2 


1-12 


5 oz. 


21 


3 hrs. .30 water 


** 


214 


2-3 


6 oz. 


21 


3 hrs. 50 water 




3 


2-11 


6 oz. 


No 


Open vent 2 hrs., 
closed 2 hrs. water. 




6 


■ 5-14 


4 oz. 


No 


Open vent 2 hours, 
closed 3 hrs. water. 


Lunch 


M 


7 oz. 


1,4 oz. 


21 


1 hr. at 220 (2,4 lb. 
pressure) 




1 


14 oz. 


1 oz. 


21 


1)4 hr. at 220 (2)^ 
lb. pressure) 



-53- 



Dried Beef 

"Dried beef" is beef cured in a similar manner to 
corned beef, although in a sweeter pickle. The meat 
when fully cured is then dried and smoked and consti- 
tutes a very nice article of food when well prepared. 

Manufacturers of dried beef generally reserve the 
rounds of beef for that use. Out of the rounds three 
pieces are made in the standard cut, the names of 
which are "inside," "outside" and "knuckle." The 
knuckle is the best piece owing to its shape, then comes 
the outside, then the inside. The two first named cuts, 
being rather large, require a longer time to be fully 
cured to the center. However, I do not advise pump- 
ing them with pickle when they are prepared for can- 
ning ptirposes. Dried beef for the canning room has to 
be dried a good deal more than dried beef prepared for 
sale on the shop counter. Pumping introduces a great 
quantity of moisture in the very center of the piece 
and, therefore, the drying process needs to be length- 
ened. Unless the packer can install a properly heated 
and ventilated room for drying, he will find that 
losses will occur in the drying room rather than in the 
curing cellar, and that is the reason why I do not 
recommend pumping the meats that are intended for 
the canning department. 

If the meat is carefully overhauled every week it 
will be found fully cured in 60 days; bift it may be kept 
in sweet pickle for another two months if necessary 
without overhauling again. 

The meat should be then carefully washed in cold 
water. If beef hams are old, soak them in cold water 
according to the following schedule: 

—54— 



Days Old 


Hours to 


Soak 


Change Water 


60 


10 




2 times 


75 


12 




2 times 


125 


20 




3 times 


Over 


30 




3 times 



Hang the pieces in a cool, well ventilated room in 
order to drain all free water: this will require from 24 
to 48 hours, according to the conditions of temperature. 
This may also be done in the smoke-house when there 
is room enough for it. Smoke 24 hours at least, keep- 
ing the smoke-house at 150 Fahr., and then hang to 
dr}' in a well-aired room, kept at a moderate tempera- 
ture, for a time ranging from 5 to 10 days. 

In plants where smoke-houses are provided with a 
steam-heating system, the drving process will require 
only 200 hours at 150 degrees. 




Canning. The first grade, "sliced dried beef" is 
made out of the knuckle pieces. 

The second grade , ' ' chipped beef, ' ' is made out of the 
other pieces and from the trimmings of the first grade. 

The first grade is generally put up in glass jars. 
Slice with a good slicing machine, fill the jars accord- 
ing to the following table, put the top on, then run 
through the vacuum machine, allowing all possible, 
vacuum (27 to 28 in.). When dried beef is put up in 
tin cans, use special chipped-beef cans. These cans are 
supplied by the manufacturer with the entire top 
detached from the body of the can. Fill the can with 
the required amount of sliced meat, put the top on, 
float the can, i. e., solder the top to the body by rotat- 
ing quickly in a solder bath, then exhaust the air in 
the vacuum pot at 28 in., and tip. 



Filling in Jars 


Filling in Tins 


Size I Meat 


Size 


Meat 


K 
I 


5 oz. 
9 oz. 


I 


4X ozs- 
8X ozs. 



Sliced Bacon 

Use only high grade, fully cured and well-smoked 
bacon. Slice carefully with the slicing machine, stuff 
and seal same as explained for dried beef. 

Fowl (Chicken and Turkey) 

Fowl is generally put up in the state of boneless 
chicken or turkey. For this purpose the birds are 
boiled in salted water, seasoned with a bag of spices, 
until they can be boned by hand easily. 

Then the bones and skins are boiled in a limited 
amount of water until the soup attains the consistency 
of a jelly. This jelly is made perfectly palatable by the 
addition of }4 lb. salt to the gallon,, and pepper and 
spices to taste. 

—56-^ 



The meat is then stuffed tight into the cans bv 
hand, with the addition of jelly, and processed accord- 



ing to the following table: 



Size 


Meat 


Jelly 


Vacuum 


Process 


K 


6 


K 


21 in. 


I hr. 45 min, at 9 .lbs.- 
steam pressure. 


I 


13 


I 


2 1 m. 


2 hrs. 15 min. at 9 l^s. 
pressure. 



A better result is obtained by previously curing 
the fowl for 12 hours in a dry cure made of half salt 
and half sugar and spices to taste; the proportion of 
the mixture to the meat is 4 to 100. Fowl may also 
be browned in a steam kettle with the addition of lard, 
onions, etc., after boiling. The cook water of fowl is a 
precious element in the manufacture of meat extracts. 

In Europe whole or half chickens, not boned, are 
put up in jelly in tins of an oval shape. In that case, 
only young birds are used, and they are generally 
browned in the oven or in a steam kettle at a high tem- 
perature before being canned and covered with meat 
jelly. 

Potted Meats 



put up m tr/'4 



Prei^arations called "potted meats" are generally 
#K and #K sizes, and when carefully 
prepared constitute a very wholesome article of food, 
very convenient for the preparation of lunch dishes, 
sandwiches, etc. 

They have the advantage of enabling the packer 
to dispose of small pieces, trimmings, etc., which, 
although having the same nutritive value as other 
cuts, would not find an easy sale under that form. 
Before the enactment of the recent pure food laws, 
now in force in all civilized countries, a few packers had 



given a bad reputation to this class of canned meats by 
using inferior materials in their preparation, but that 
time has passed and the consumer of Government- 
inspected foods knows that he is buying what is 
described on the label. 

Another class of potted meats is packed up with 
a small addition of amylaceous matters and consti- 
tutes what is known under the name of veal loaf, 
chicken loaf, ham loaf, beef loaf, etc. 

I give below a table showing the stuffing and pro- 
cessing which is common to all potted meats put up 
in standard tins, and also a few formulas for the pre- 
paration of the meat. These formulas can be varied 
indefinitely and in order to suit the requirements of 
the packer as well as those of the trade. 





Stuffing and Processing 


Size 


Meat 


Vacuum 


Process 




3K oz. 

7 oz. 


21 
21 


i}4 hours at lo lbs. 
!%■ hours at lo lbs. 



Potted Ham 

Use ham trimmings which have been cured from 
8 to lo days and smoked on trays in the smoke-house. 
Cook these trimmings 1 5 minutes in boiling water, pass 
them through the h plate of the "Enterprise" chopper, 
then finish chopping in the "Buffalo" cutter, adding to 
a 400 lbs. batch of meat the following spices: 

Ground mustard 6 lbs. 

White pepper i lb. 

Red pepper 2 oz. 

Mace, cloves and nutmeg to taste. 

Water, up to the proportion of 4 lbs. per batch of 
50 lbs., may be added during the chopping in the 
"Buffalo." 

—58— 




Enterprise Chopper 




Buffalo Chopper 

— 59— 



Potted Meat 

There is no formula for potted meats where almost 
all kinds of meat trimmings may be used as in the 
manufacture of Bologna-sausage. When it is desired 
to give a smoky flavor, dried beef may be used 
instead of ham trimmings. 

Potted Tongue 

The base of "potted tongue" is the trimmings of 
the cured tongues which are put in cans. Use the 
following spices for 50 lb. of ox tongue trimmings: 

White pepper 2^ oz. 

Cayenne ' 2 oz. 

Mace 2 oz. 

Cloves 2 oz. 

Nutmeg 2 oz. 

Water 2 lbs. 

Deviled Meats 

Deviled meats are prepared in the same manner 
as potted meats; the seasoning alone is different, a 
greater quantity of cayenne pepper and spices being 
used. 

Pate de Foie (Liver Pate) 

This is a very nice preparation for sandwiches. It 
is stuffed and canned like ordinary potted meats. It 
must not, however, be confounded with the French 
'•'•Pate de foie gr as,'''' which is made of goose and duck 
livers and is a fancy and very expensive article. Our 
potted liver is made as follows: 
Chop fine. 

Pork liver i part 

Fresh pork fat 2 parts 

Lean pork meat . >< part 

Spiced salt 3 oz. per lb. of product 

—60— 



Chop the meat when raw and cook slowh' in a 
steam-jacket kettle without any addition of water. 
Stuff when hot. The formtila of spiced salt, which is 
a very convenient one in many cases, is given later. 

Veal Loaf 

To work out the following formula, first cook the* 
meat about 30 minutes, then run it through the "Enter- 
'prise" chopper and the "Buffalo" cutter, then add the 
milk, flour and spices. Hash very fine and stuff. Cap 
and run through the vacuvmi pot at 17 in., then process 
as follows: 

#X 2 hours at 10 lbs. 

#1 2 1-2 hours at 10 lbs. 

Formula 

Meat 50 lbs. 

Corn meal .• 2 lbs. 

H. M. P. flour 2 lbs. 

White pepper 4 oz. 

Mace >2 oz. 

Sage I oz. 

Sweet sa\'ory % oz. 

Milk 1 quart 

Sugar I oz. 

Eggs 6 

Salt 2 lbs. 

Jellied Veal 

Cure in salt for about 14 days in order to absorb 
most of the excess of moisture. Cook only 10 minutes 
in boiling water. Stuff' same as corned beef, Vjut use 
only a very light jelly, as the meat will produce jelly 
by itself. Some seasoning will greatly help to improve 
the taste of veal meat. 

—61— 



Corned Beef Hash 

Formula 

Corned beef ■ • ■ 45 lbs. 

Salt pork trimmings 7,% lbs. 

Potatoes 45 lbs. 

Eggs 2^ lbs. 

Onions 6}4 lbs. 

Pepper 8 oz. 

Spices to taste. 

Potatoes should be boiled 20 minutes before peel- 
ing and a certain proportion of water and oleo oil, as 
a fat, may be added if necessary. 

Compressed Ham 

Compressed ham is generally made of ham trim- 
mings. First trim ofE the fat, then boil the meat in 
open vats for 25 to 45 minutes, according to the size 
of the pieces. 

Fill the cans according to the table given beloW: 
using a jelly well prepared and seasoned to suit the 
trade. 



Size 


Meat 


Jelly 


Vacuum 


Process 


I 
2 


10 OZ. 
2 2 OZ. 


2 OZ. 

3 OZ. 


2 1 in. 
2 2 in. 


3 hours at 226 Fahr. 

4 hours at 226 Fahr. 



Irish Stew^ 

Boned mutton is cut into suitable pieces and put 
in the steam-jacket kettle with just enough water to 
cover it. The usual flavoring made of spiced salt, 
par.sley and onions is added. The whole is simmered 
itntil the soup has been reduced half its volume. It is 
then ready to can and process. 

—62— 



French Stew 

Mutton shoulders are generally used. First, fry 
the boned meat in hot grease (oleo stock is generally 
used in large packing plants). Can the meat and cover 
with stock made as follows: Add to the hot fat in the 
jacket kettle % lb. flour for every lb. of soup (to thicken 
and brown it) and, when brown, thin the sauce with 
diluted extract until the required quantity of sauce is 
'obtained. Add a few vegetables and spices to taste. 

Stewed Kidneys 

Cut the kidneys in large pieces and remove all the 
fat. Then soak the pieces first in cold water, and after- 
wards in hot water. 

Put 40 lbs. of kidneys in the steam-jacket kettle 
with the addition of 5 lbs. oleo fat as frying stock, and 
2 lbs. minced onions. Add 2 lbs. flour and 2 lbs. of the 
following spices: 

Salt 8 lbs. 

Pepper 14 oz. 

Cayenne X oz. 

Paprika X oz 

Other spices to taste. 

Fill #2 cans with 20 oz. meat and cover with 
"stock." This should be the ordinary stock thickened 
with flour and flavored with spices to taste. 

Tripe in Milk 

The cleaned tripe is boiled in wooden vats or 
enameled steam-jacket kettles, as steel or cast iron 
kettles would turn it black. Even in wooden vats a 
wooden perforated false bottom must be provided to 
prevent the contact of the tripe and the steam pipes. 

When the tripe is cooked and tender, it is cut in 
strips, then rolled into rolls and stufi'ed into the cans. 

—63— 



The can is then filled with a soup made of milk to 
which is added salt in the proportion of 5 lbs. of salt 
to each 10 gallons of milk. 



Size 


Meat 


Milk 


\'acuum 1 Process 


2 

6 


26 oz. 

5 lbs. 8 oz. 


3 oz. 
8 oz. 


23 in. 
23 in. 


3 hours at 10 lbs. 
6 hours at 7 lbs. 



Tripe "A la Mode de Caen," 
(French Style) 

The cleaned tripe is cooked slowly for 6 hours in 
jacket enameled kettles covered with a well-fitting lid. 
To each 20 lbs. of fresh tripe add the following ingre- 
dients : 

Lard i lb. 

Calf's feet ';.... 4 pieces 

Salt ; . . . 9 oz. 

White pepper ^ oz. 

Cloves /^ oz. 

Vinegar i pint 

Onions ' 4 

Carrots 4 

Thyme, parsley, bay leaves. 
Then can and process 1% hours at 10 lbs. 



Mince Meat 

Cook 2 lbs. beef in boiling water, then stand aside 
over night to cool. Then chop the meat together with 
the following ingredients: 



2 lbs. beef suet. 
4 lbs. apples. 
I lb. citron. 
}4 lb. lemon peel. 



14 lb. candied orange peel. 
2 lbs. laver raisins, stoned. 
2 lbs. currants. 
2 lbs. seedless raisins. 

—64— 



Mix well all together and then add the juice and rind 
of: 

2 oranges, % oz. cinnamon. 

2 lemons. % oz. mace. 

2 nutmegs, grated. i teaspoonful of salt. 

X oz. cloves. 
Mix well and ptit in stone jar, covering with one 
quart of sherry and one quart of brandy. 

Chile Con Carne 

This is a favorite dish of the Mexicans and of 
many people in Central America. It is manufactured 
to a certain extent by the Chicago canners for supplying 
their Southern trade. 

Recipe: The principal element of the seasonings 
is a kind of large, sweet, red pepper — called by the 
Mexicans "Chile Ancho." 

First remove all seeds, then cook the fruit in boil- 
ing water in a steam-jacket kettle until it can be run 
through an "Enterprise" chopper to make a pulp. 

Then take loo lbs. of beef and grind through 
medium plate of the "Enterprise" chopper. 

Put the Chile pulp and the meat and spices in the 
jacket kettle, using the following proportions: 

Meat loo lbs. 

Chile pulp 15 lbs. 

Salt. 2'i^ lbs. 

Garlic ,K lb. 

Cumina 7 ozs. 

Oregano 5 ozs. 

Water 8 gal. 

Cayenne pepper 8 oz. 

Keep boiling until the meat is well cooked, then 
spread in the jacket kettle 3 lbs. of flour, to thicken the 
sauce, and pack in cans. 

—65— 



White beans may be added in each can. The 
beans should be cooked in water in a separate kettle, 
in order to keep them whole, as the mass of meat 
must be kept stirring all the time it is cooking. 

Should the meat be too lean, some fat, such as 
oleo oil, may be used to soften it. 

Pork and Beans 

I am sorry to say that this favorite dish of so 
many people, which is, -in fact, so dainty when properly 
prepared at home, does not receive from the average 
packer the attention which it deserves. The meat 
packing industry has undertaken its manufacture be- 
cause it is a means of securing a sale for some cuts of 
pork which, when raw, would meet very little demand. 
And the idea was a good one indeed. But the competi- 
tion in selling prices has induced the packers to cut 
down, more and more, the proportion of pork in the 
product, so that the buyer is sometimes disappointed 
with what he buys. Let the buyer stick to the best 
brands. He will have to pay a few cents more, but he 
will get what he expects. 

The beans are first soaked in cold salted water for 
1 2 hours previous to cooking. They are half-cooked in 
boiling water, the water being carefully skimmed, and 
then sent to the drain. This process washes away the 
matter which causes a bitter taste in the product and 
also the slimy products which impair the appearance of 
the liquid surrounding the canned beans. Now, in 
order to put up a uniform product, the canner must 
weigh carefully the quantities of beans and also of the 
soup to be put in each can. Indeed, during the process- 
ing of beans, which is long and at high temperature, the 
beans will keep on cooking, softening and absorbing a 
certain amount of the soup. Should the proportion of 

—66— 



the liquid to that of the beans be too small the product, 
after the process, will be altogether too dry, and will 
become still drier after a few weeks in the storage 
room. Another danger is the excess of liquid, which 
does not suit the consumer. 

In practice, and when the filling of the cans is 
done by hand, special cups are prepared, both for the 
cooked beans and for the soup, holding a certain weight 
of each of these constituents. They are filled close to 
the top edge and their contents stuffed into the can 
with the aid of a funnel. The can then passes into the 
hands of a scaler who makes up the required net weight 
by adding or subtracting some of the liquid. 

The filling of cans by machine has now taken the 
place of hand-filling in up-to-date plants, as a labor- 
saver and a guarantee of uniformity. 

Different soups are prepared to be added to the 
beans and thus the packer is enabled to market what 
is called "Plain Beans," "Beans with Tomato Sauce," 
etc. But the proportion of pork deposited in each can 
previous to the filling with beans and soup generally 
remains the same. 

The proportions as given below are an average. 
All beans have not the same cooking and absorbing 
properties, nor will all waters cook the beans in the 
same manner. Consequentlv a few experiments have 
to be made at the start, as well as each time that a 
fresh supply of beans is brought to the canning depart- 
ment. 







sm 


^ng and Processing 


Size 


Pork 


Beans 


Soup 


Vacuum 


Process 


I 


I OZ. 


6 OZ. 


4 OZ. 


15 


2 hrs. 30 min. at 10 lbs. 


2 


2 OZ. 


12 OZ. 


8 OZ. 


15 


2%: do. 


3 


3 OZ- 


21 OZ. 


12 OZ. 


15 


3 do. 



-67- 



Recipes for Soups 



Soup for Tomato Sauce 

Water 25 gal. 

Tomato pulp 25 gal. 

Sugar 25 lbs. 

Salt 4 lbs. 

Pepper 6 oz. 

Spices to taste. 

Boil this soup 15 min- 
utes at least. 



Soup for Plain Beans 



Water 25 gal. 

Brawn stock chop- 
ped fine 12 lbs. 

Sugar 25 lbs. 

Salt 5 lbs. 

Pepper 6 oz. 

Spices to taste. 

Boil this soup v^" hour. 



N. B. Processing beans in the retort at a high 
temperature has generally the effect of baking them, 
z e., of giving them a rather brownish color. The same^ 
■pack of beans if processed under water at the boiling 
point will turn out of a lighter color. The canner must 
meet the requirements of the trade, but the process in 
the retort at a high temperature is certainly safer and, 
of course, quicker. 

When beans and soup are stuffed hot into the cans 
and the capping and tipping are done immediately, 
without allowing the can to cool, there is no necessity 
of using the vacuum machine; — the ends will "draw" 
sufficiently when the can has cooled. 

Soups 

Very nice soups can be put up in the canning 
department of a packing house if the foreman canner 
has the ' inspirations of a good cook, as he then can 
dispose of a great quantity of material to advantage. 

The greatest part of the contents of a tin of soup 
being liquids, the process to be applied will be lighter 
and shorter than that supplied to meats, as the liquids 
are better conductors of heat, and the sterilization will 
thus be easier. 

—68— 



Soups are generally put up in sizes called #i, 
#iK) #2. Below is given the process-time generally 
considered as sufficient for the different sizes. 

When the cans are filled with hot liquids, and 
capped and tipped immediately, no exhausting is- 
necessary, the heat of the liquid expels enough of the 
air contained in the air-space to "draw" the ends of 
the can when the contents are cold. 

Cans for soups may be made of light tin-plate, 
and, by having the bottom made of a very light tin- 
plate, the consumer will be able to cut it with a pocket 
knife; no key-opening device is generally adapted to 
this class of cans. 

Stuffing and Processing 



\ Size 


Process 


No. I 

No. iK 


55 min. at 230 
60 min. at 230 



Recipes for Soups 

Consomme 

Boil fresh beef trimmings or dilute extract of beef 
in the required quantity of water to produce a rich 
broth, boil 15 minutes with a few vegetables (carrots, 
turnips, onions), pepj^er and spices to taste, strain and 
filter, can and process. 

Roast beef cook-waters can be used with advantage 
and take the place of the extract. 

It will be only necessary to let them simmer in 
the kettle itp to the proper concentration point and 
then act as above explained. Coloring, if required, 
can be given with burnt sugar. 

—69^ 



Vegetable Soup 

Cut in small cubes a quantity of carrots, turnips, 
parsnips and a few stalks of celery. Blanch these 
vegetables in boiling water for lo minutes. Some green 
peas may also be added. Now prepare the same broth 
as described for the consomme, but without the addition 
of other vegetables during the boiling. The broth can 
also be made slightly lighter. 

Then fill the cans with the^cut vegetables up to a 
quarter of the height, finish filling the cans with hot 
consomme, cap and tip and process. 

Pea Soup 

Soak one bushel of dried peas in lukewarm water 
over night; the next morning send the soak- water to 
the drain, place the peas in a steam-jacket kettle, 
covering with water and adding the following: 

Lard lo lbs. 

Smoked ham trimmings 5 lbs. 

Carrots 3 lbs. 

Onions 3 lbs. 

Salt 2X lbs. 

White pepper 3>^ oz. 

Other spices to taste. 

Keep gently boiling for an hour, then crush through 
the finest plate of the "Enterprise" chopper, pass 
through a hair-sieve and put the paste back into the 
jacket kettle, to keep it hot, adding to it enough water 
to get the required consistency. Then fill the cans, cap 
and process. 

Tomato Soup 

Scald the tomatoes, crush them, put them in the 
jacket kettle, adding sufficient water. Keep boiling an 
hour, adding 2 lbs. of lard for each 20 gallons of soup. 

—70— 



Thicken the soup with the addition of i lb. of rice flour 
to each 20 gals., also 2 lbs. of salt, a pinch of pepper 
and spices to taste. Then strain carefully through a 
hair-sieve, and put back in the kettle to keep hot. 

Swell some rice in boiling water for 20 minutes. 
Place 2 i^ ozs. of the swelled rice in each #1 can, fill 
with hot soup, cap and process. 

Ox-Tail Soup 

Concentrated ox-tail soup is made of the concen- 
trated broth obtained by boiling ox-tails for .4. to 5 
hours with a few vegetables, salt and spices to taste. 

The broth should then be strained and clarified, and 
colored with burnt sugar if necessary. The meat should 
be taken out of the bones, which are sent to the tank 
house, and the cans are filled as follows: 

#1 cans. Boned meat 1% ozs. 

Broth 8 ozs. 

Swelled pearl barley i >2 ozs. 

When cold this concentrated broth will become a 
jelly. 



-71- 



Chapter VI. 
By-products of the Beef Department 

The beef by-product department and the canning 
department must work together in order to get the 
maximum of salable products out of the cattle 
slaughtered for canning purposes. It is only owing to 
this combination that the large packers of the United 
States, Argentina and Australia have been able to place 
on the market a line of canned meats, such as corned 
beef and roast beef, which sell so cheaply that the 
housekeeper herself cannot figure on making her own 
cooked meat at the same price, when she is aware of 
the fact that the shrinkage of beef meat in cooking 
amounts to 3.3%, and that the bones are of no value 
whatever for food purposes. This result is obtained as 
follows: Canning cattle are generally bought at a 
rather low figure, not being fat enough for the retail 
butcher's shop. When canning cattle are slaughtered 
for the canning department the best cuts are generally 
saved, which can be sold fresh at a good figure and this 
goes to the credit of the canned meat. 

Moreover, the meat has to be boned, and the 
packer should save these bones which, when fresh, will 
render valuable liquors for extract purposes, fat and 
marrow, and can then be sold either as hard bones or 
for chemical purposes, according to their quality. 

Again, the meat generally has to be soaked and 
boiled, and, as the water dissolves a great part of its 
soluble and nutritious elements, similar to those con- 
tained in ordinary beef broth, it mav be saved and con- 

—72— 



centrated by evaporation for the manufacture of beef 
extract. I shall, therefore, say a few words about the 
treatment to be applied to the bones and respecting 
the manufacture of meat extracts. 

Bones 

Packitig-houses where no canning department is in 
operation onlv consider the sale of the skulls, jaws, 
and shins or shanks, as thev are called indifferently. 
These shins are very valuable when they have been 
treated properh/ and may be sold as hard bones for 
the manufacture of knife handles, brush handles, but- 
tons, and man}' other purposes. 

When the carcasses of beef are boned for canning 
purposes the canner disposes of another series of bones 
which are just as valuable as the shanks. I refer to 
the cannons and the clods in the fore-quarters, and to 
the thighs and buttocks in the hind-quarters. 




All these bones undergo the same treatment as the 
shanks. The ends or knuckle pieces are sawn off with 
the power bone-saw so as barely to expose the marrow. 
The bones are then cooked for about 6 hours in water 

—73— 



at the temperature of 190 degrees Fahr. The hquid is 
then allowed to settle for an hour. All grease on top 
of the water is skimmed off and saved, and the bones 
are sent to the revolving washer to be perfectl}^ freed 
from all meat, and cleaned. When perfectly clean and 
white they are spread on racks in the drying room, 
where the temperature should be kept at 85 or 90 




Bone Washer and Polisher 



degrees Fahr. , no more. Great care must be exercised 
not to boil the cooking water nor to overcook the bones. 
This would have the result of dissolving part of the 
gelatine of the bones. The bones would turn out 
"chalky" and become unsalable as hard bones, and the 
cooking waters would contain too much gelatine to be 
of any use in the extract room. 

The other bones, rib-bones, back-bones, etc., 
generally retain a larger proportion of meat adhering 
to them. The best way to treat them is as follows: 
First, cook them at a rather low temperature (150 
degrees Fahr. will be enough) and save this water for ■ 

—74— 



extract. Secondly, reboil them at 212 degrees for a 
longer time, in order to render all the fat. 

After that thev may be sent to the tank-house, or 
be treated for the manufacture of glue, but this subject 
is outside the scope of this treatise. In any case, and 
in order to get the best price for them, they must be 
• thoroughly cleaned by passing them through the revolv- 
ing washer, and they must be completely dried. 

Extract of Beef 

This is another by-product of the beef department, 
which is still more closeh' connected with the canning 
department. 

Beef extract is the result of the concentration of 
the soluble juices of the meats. These juices dissolve 
in the soaking and cooking waters and, not very long 
ago, were lost and sent to the drain. They are, how- 
ever, the very elements of the meat savor. The}^ are 
recommended by many physicians as precious to 
invalids,, and they are also the most valuable help to 
the modern "chef." 

One hundred i^ounds of beef, "fully extracted," 
yields, in the chemist's laboratory, 4% of perfectly 
dried extract. The so-called "solid" extract of the 
packers contains about 20% of moisture. Therefore, 
the meat would yield about 5% of commercial solid 
extract. But the aim of the packer is not to extract 
from the meat all its soluble principles. He only 
tries to save that proportion of them which would be 
lost during the different processes of manufacture. In 
practice the yield in extract of the meats handled in 
the canning department is much below the figures 
given above. 

—75— 



However, with the present price of meat extracts, 
it will be easy to figure out the loss sustained by the 
packer who does not save the liquors from the canning 
department. Commercially speaking, I may say that 
beef extract is a compound of the different extracts 
obtained by the concentration or evaporation of the 
soaking or cooking waters of beef or bone liquors 
handled in the canning, and, sometimes, in the sausage 
departments. 

These liquors are generally evaporated by them- 
selves up to the required density, because each of them 
presents different characteristics in taste, flavor, color, 
etc., and afterwards, definite proportions of them are 
compounded together to make up the finished product. 

Pure extract should contain no fatty matters and 
as little gelatine as possible. 

Of course it might be possible to evaporate these 
liquors in open steam-jacket kettles. But, not to men- 
tion the time required for the process and the high 
steam consumption, the temperature of the boiling 
liquid and that of the walls of the kettle are liable to 
"bake" some of the solids contained in the liquors, and 
to impart to them a disagreeable flavor. 

A great improvement is obtained by the use of a 
revolving cylinder similar to that employed as "stick 
driers." Low-pressure steam is allowed to circulate 
inside the cylinder. The liquors to be concentrated are 
run as a thin film on the outside of the drum, and, 
owing to the great surface of evaporation, the process 
is considerably lessened. This apparatus is the one I 
would recommend for small plants as it involves only 
a light expense in machinery. 

Where considerable quantities of liquors are evap- 
orated every day the packer looks more closely to the 



steam consumption than to the cost of the apparatus, 
and, consequentlv, he prefers the vacuum e\'aporators 

By artificially lessening the atmospheric pressure 
on the top of a liquid the temperature of ebullition is 
considerably lowered. Thus disappears the danger of 
"baking the product." Moreover, the air-pump which 
creates the vacuum will at the same time take care of 
the vapors produced by the ebullition of the liquid, 
and, with the aid of the condenser, will aid quicker 
evaporation. 




Evaporating under a vacuum is also economical as 
it allows the use of the exhaust steam from jacket 
kettles, steam engines, etc., for heating. And while a 
cylinder-drier working under the atmospheric pressure 
will require as an average i lb. of coal to evaporate lo 
lbs. of liquor, a double-effect evaporator will evaporate. 



with the same quantity of coal, i6 lbs. of liquor, and 
a triple-effect, 24 lbs. 

The main materials which are used for the produc- 
tion of liquors for the extract department are handled 
as follows: 

Beef Hearts 

Fresh beef hearts are sometimes difficult to sell. 
In this case they may be sliced or crushed in the meat 
chopper, then soaked for 24 hours in cold water, the 
water being changed two or three times during that 
period and all these waters being put away in a cooler 
for further use in the extract department. These 
heart soak-waters give a very good extract and will 
yield 2 . 3 5 / 1 00 of the weight of the hearts in solid extract . 
When the hearts are treated for extract only an addi- 
tion of one part of hydrochloric acid to 250 parts of 
the soak-water will greatly increase the yield in extract. 

Corned Beef 

Nearty all corned beef used in the canning depart- 
ment has to be soaked for at least twelve hours in cold 
water in order to wash off the old pickle and to dissolve 
the excess of salt. These soak-waters contain, of 
course, part of the meat juices. Their evaporation will 
yield about 1.50% of extract. This extract alone 
would be altogether too salty, but it can be mixed 
with heart or roast-beef extracts. The corned beef 
cook- waters are not employed generally, as they give a 
rather disagreeable taste to the product, a "cheesy'.' 
taste, as the packer says. 

Roast Beef 

Roast-beef soak and cook- waters are a first-class 
material for extract, as only fresh meats are generally 
used for that purpose. Roast -beef cooking and soaking- 

—78— 



waters when added will yield 2.50% of the weight of 
the fresh meat in solid extract. 

Bone Liquors 

All bones from meats cut for the canning depart- 
ment may be cooked for two hours in water at about 
150 degrees Fahr. They will render a liquor which can 
be blended with other liquors for extract and will 
yield /-2% of the weight of the bones. They contain, 
in fact, a small percentage of gelatine, but, when com- 
pounded with above described products, will give a 
very satisfactory result. The bones are then sent to 
the bone department for further treatment. 

Whatever may be the machinery employed for 
the evaporation, the operation is carried on in two 
sections, as follows: 

Cook -waters from the canning room and bone- 
liquors are first boiled b}' themselves in large flat open 
vats. Then an equal quantity of soak-waters (gen- 




erally called "cellar" waters) is added. The heat pro- 
duces the coagulation of the albuminous matters which 



-79- 



are dissolved in the cellar-waters and this coagulated 
albumen forms a scum which rises to the surface. The 
scum is vigorously stirred in the mass of the liquid, the 
coagulated albumen having the property of carrying 
with it most of the impurities in suspense in the liquid, 
and the liquid is then first strained through a coarse 
sieve and then pumped through a filter press, or, at 
least, carefully filtered through flannel bags. 

Then the clear liquid is pumped to the evaporators. 
It is first concentrated to a density of 7 to 8 degrees 
Baume. Now, .if the liquor is not clear enough, some 
more cellar-water may be added and a new filtration 
made. 

The liquid is then pumped into the finishing pan 
where it is concentrated into a paste which will contain 
only from 20% to 25% of moisture. This, when cold, 
will have the appearance of a heavy dark-brown paste , 
and is called ' ' solid extract. ' ' It contains, as an average, 
22% of moisture, 63% of organic substances and 15% 
of salt. The salt comes partly from that contained in 
the corned beef soak-waters and the balance is added 
to the liquor before the last process. It is the only 
preservative that should be used in the manufacture 
of beef extract, although some packers also add sugar 
up to the proportion of i>'2%. 

Sometimes the concentration is not carried so high 
and the process is stopped when the liquid marks 20 
degrees Baume. This is what is called "fluid extract." 
It contains 45% of moisture and 10% of salt. 

Fluid extract does not keep so long as solid extract, 
and it is wise to put it in large cans and to give it a 
process in the retort Then it can be kept for any 
length of time and may be bottled only at the time of 
shipping. 

—80— 



Solid extract when put up in well-corked jars and 
stored in a cold room keeps well. This is why manu- 
facturers first reduce all extracts to a solid. When- 
ever they receive orders for fluid extract they prepare 
it by thoroughlv mixing 60 parts of solid extract with 
'40 parts of water. 

As already explained, all solid extracts made 
from different materials are stored in a cold room. 
When the time for sale arrives definite proportions of 
each one of them are blended together in a small steam- 
jacket kettle provided with an agitator (beater). This 
has not only the effect of thoroughly blending the 
dift'erent materials but also introduces into the paste 
a certain quantity of air, which will make the color of 
the finished product a light brown, instead of the dark 
black color which it had when coming out of the 
finishing pan. 

Bouillon tablets, soup tablets (with or without 
addition of vegetables), are all derived from meat 
extract, and they are often found to contain a notable 
proportion of gelatine. 

Beef extracts are on the market under numerous 
fancy names. Their value should be estimated only 
by the resuh; of analysis, and their proj^ortion of 
organic substances. 



—81- 



Chapter VII. 
Recent Inventions 

The "Auto-Vacuum" 

Such is the name given by the inventor, Mr. Aug. 
Corthay, to an apparatus in which the meat is cooked 
without any addition of water and in a closed recep- 
tacle. 

It is in fact a steam-jacket kettle, covered by a 
dome which can be bolted tightly on the body of the 
kettle. The meat is put in the kettle without any 
other addition than the proper amount of salt and 
spices. Then the lid is secured and the steam turned 
on. 

The name of auto-vacuum applied by the inventor 
to the apparatus (which seems rather strange when 
applied to a closed kettle where there is a pressure 
greater than that of the atmosphere during the cook- 
ing process), derives its origin from this fact: When 
starting the operation, the pet-cock on the top 
of the lid is left open, allowing all the air possible to 
be expelled by the first vapors of the boiling. Then 
it is closed and the meat is stewed in its own vapor. 

This first expulsion of the air lasts for a longer or 
shorter time according to the kind of meats treated. 
For example, we ma}^ mention the cooking of tripe, 
which, as everyone knows, requires consideral^le time 
under water. This time is greatly reduced by cooking 
under pressure, but the taste would be rather disagree- 
able if the pet-cock was not kept open for a certain 
time, thus allowing the first vapors to escape and carry- 

—82— 



ing away all objectionable odors. During the cooking 
process all the meat juices separate under the influence 
of the heat, as usual, but, no water having been 
allowed to come in contact with the meat, they issue 
in a state of intense concentration and very little boil- 
ing'is afterwards required to convert them into extract. 

In addition to this, the meat has not been deprived 
of its juices by boiling in water, the shrinkage is no 
greater as there is no evaporation, but the saving in 
savory principles is considerable, and the cooking 
process is very quick, being made under the pressure 
generated bv the vaporization of the liquids themselves, 
under the influence of the steam jacket. 

I really believe that the apparatus is well worth a 
trial by the small canner who aims rather at quality 
than at quantity of product. It is also admirably 
adapted to the cooking of vegetables. 

When the meat has been taken out and the jelly 
carefully strained and filtered, the jelly is put back 
into the kettle and the lid is put on again. A connec- 
tion is made with a vacuum pump and the cooking 
kettle becomes a finishing kettle for extract. 

Centrifugal Drier of Meats 

This apparatus is based on the same principle as 
the centrifugal drying machines used in so many indus- 
tries, laundries, etc. It is built like a cream-separator, 
but the bowl is perforated instead of being plain. 

The meats which come from the sweet-pickle 
cellar are dumped into the bowl and it is put in motion; 
its speed is about i,8oo revolutions per minute. Under 
the influence of centrifugal force all the free liquids are 
expelled. 

A great number of these machines are now in use 
in the southeastern countries of Europe, especially 

—83— 



where a great quantity of summer sausage is turned 
out. This affords, indeed, a quick means of freeing 
the meat of part of its constituent juices, a process 
which takes so long when drying is done by air circu- 
lation. Moreover, in the latter process the juices are 
lost; in the new one they can be saved for other pur- 
poses. 

Not only the manufacturers of summer sausage, 
but also manufacturers of dried beef can derive advan- 
tage from the use of the centrifugal drier because it 
is during the first period of desiccation that there are 
the greatest risks of spoiling the products. 

In the manufacture of canned meats proper it 
would seem that by treating the meats with the centri- 
fugal machine one might, in certain cases, avoid the 
soaking process which is always detrimental to the 
natural flavor of the meat. By this treatment also a 
richer liquor for extract purposes may be immediately 
obtained. 

Canning of Raw Meats 

This is a favorite subject of mine and it involves 
a problem for which a solution has still to be found. 

By stuffing the meat raw into the can the packer 
would do away with the 35% shrinkage which occurs 
during the boiling of the meat previous to canning, and 
the consuming public would get a better product, as 
they would obtain for a given price, not meat partially 
deprived of its savory principles and soluble extracts, 
by the boiling in water, but meat where all the nourish- 
ing principles have been concentrated in an air-tight 
receptacle and which would have even more nutritive 
value than the same amount of meat treated on the 
kitchen range. It is to be regretted that this problem 
has so far remained unsolved. Is it the fault of the 

—84— 



public or is it that of the packer? The question is 
dififictilt to answer. 

It may be the fault of the public. They in fact 
do not know what they get for their money. Thev 
have been educated to a supply of solid, compressed, 
but washed-out meat; and they do not understand 
that they would get more by buying meats preserved 
iti their concentrated cooking gravy. 

Nevertheless I must blame the packer as being' 
partly responsible for this state of affairs. While spend- 
ing such considerable sums of money in advertising his 
goods, he might at the same time just as well have 
explained to the public what canned meats ought to 
be. It might even appear that the meat canner had 
some kind of interest in concealing the trvith, but, if 
that was so, he is now caught in his own trap. 

In attempting to supply the public with a "solid" 
piece of meat, he has to stand .35% shrinkage in cook- 
ing, and, if he is not so equipped as to be able to save 
the liquors and turn them into extracts, he sends to 
the drain these ^■aluable liquors which are thus lost 
both to himself and to the consumer. 

Things will have to change and the time will come 
when the public will ask for the brand that offers them 
the greatest amount of nutritive elements, agreeably 
seasoned, for the same money. And then the time of 
lixiviated, pressed, oversalted, overboiled meats will 
be over. The consumer will have to pay no more for 
his can of beef and he will not have to btiy beef extract 
to season it — the identical extract made from the 
soluble principles of the very meat he has already 
purchased. 

To conclude, the eft'orts of the intelligent canner 
should be directed to the canning of meat preserved 
with all its nutritive qualities. To give it the attractive 

—85— 



appearance which will satisfy the customer on opening 
the can is the problem to be solved. 

It is to be sincerely hoped that the efforts of 
experimentalists (and I know a few of them) may 
meet with abundant success, as well in the interest of 
the canners as of that of the consuming public. 



—86- 



Legislation and Inspection 

The necessity of protecting the pubhc health 
against the ignorance, and sometimes the excessive 
cupidity, of a certain class of manufacturers of food 
products, has compelled the legislatures of all civilized 
nations to enact regulations concerning the preparation 
and the sale of food products, and, in consequence, 
meats, canned meats and all canned foods in general. 

Whatever the manufacturer of canned foods may 
have thought when the law. was first put in force, these 
regulations and the assurance thus given to the con- 
suming public that they can buy and use canned meats 
with entire security, have been the most important 
measures in the interest of the canner himself. 

A leading authority says, with reason: "If the 
people had implicit confidence in all manufactured 
food products, and all were strictly first class, the 
maximum capacity of all factories would be insufficient 
to supply the demand." 

The large meat canners of the United States under- 
stood this side of the question at first glance and have 
been as eager to have the inspection of foreign prospec- 
tive buyers as that of their own government. Thanks 
to the inspector's label they have succeeded in main- 
taining the confidence and continuing to book the 
orders of the great bu3"ers of canned meats. 

Inspection is, therefore, of vital importance to 
the manufacturer of canned foods 

I may add that, in my opinion, the intelligent 
Government-inspector should be the friend of the 
packer, should explain to him fully the scientific rea- 
sons for his work, if necessary, and should, whenever 
possible, try to help him in the solution of the various 
problems of his trade as often as his scientific knowl- 
edge may be of assistance. 

—87— 



In all Government-inspected plants, the meats 
used in the manufacture of canned meats have been 
previously inspected and approved when fresh. The 
nature and quality of the preservatives which can be 
used being also well determined by the regulations, 
the main duty of the inspector in charge of the canning 
room would be to assure himself that all meats 
coming out of the pickling cellar are indisputably fit 
for human food. 

Then the main point for him to watch would be 
that no reprocessing of leaks is done. As I have al- 
ready explained", this is where there is actual danger 
for the public health on account of the possible forma- 
tion of ptomaines, and of lead and tin salts which can- 
not be detected by the consumer, either by the advanced 
state of decomposition or by the swelled appearance 
of the can. ' 

A few countries have also enacted regulations pre- 
scribing that all seams should be soldered outside, 
prohibiting the use of solder containing an excess of 
lead, and prohibiting also the use of chloride of zinc as 
a soldering flux, But these rules have not been 
adopted everywhere as 3^et as all hygienists are not 
agreed on the matter. 

The balance of the regulations, which is common 
to all countries, concerns cleanliness in the operations,, 
•etc. , prohibits a false description of the contents of the 
cans, of the net weight and of the date of manufacture. 



—88- 



APPENDIX 

spiced Salt or Prepared Salt 

(For the Seasoning of Meats) 

Spiced salt is prepared by thoroughly mixing lo 
lbs. of fine salt to lo oz. of especial spices for meats. 

Special Spice for Meats 

White pepper • i lb. 

Cayenne pepper K oz. 

Curry 14 oz. 

Ginger. 3 oz. 

Bay leaves 6 oz. 

Thyme 6 oz. 

Sage 6 oz. 

Nutmeg I o oz. 

Cloves 3 oz. 

Cinnamon 3 oz. 



—89— 



Plain Salt Solutions 



Salt % 


Water % 


Degrees 
Salonieter 


Specific Gravity 


O 


100 





I. 


I 


99 


4 


1.007 


5 


95 


20 


1.037 


lO 


90 


40 


1.073 


IS 


85 


60 


1. 115 


20 


80 


80 


1.150 


25 


75 


100 


1. 191 



From the above table, it will be understood that 
the figure representing the percentage of salt in a 
solution is obtained by dividing the number of degrees 
by 4- 

For instance, to make a 68 degree pickle, we have 
to dissolve 68 divided by 4, or 17 parts of salt in 83 
parts of water. 



—90— 



Boiling Point of Solutions of Common 
Salt and Chloride of Calcium in Water 



Common Salt % 


Chloride of Calcium % 


Boiling Point 
Thrm. Centigrade 


7-7 


10. 


lOI 


13 


4 


16.5 


102 


18 


T 




21.6 


103 


23 


I 


25.8 


104 


27 


7 


29.4 


105 


31 


8 


32.6 


106 


35 


8 


35-6 


107 


39 


7 


38-5 


108 




41-3 


no 




44- 


III 




46.8 


112 




49-7 


113 




52.8 


114 




55.6 


115 




58.6 


116 




61.6 


117 




64.6 


118 




67.6 


119 . 




70.6 


120 




73-6 





—91— 



Tin-Plate Standards 



Size 


No. Sheets per 
Box 


Net Weight 
of Box 


Denomination 


14 by 20 


112 


95 


Light 


14 by 20 


112 


100 


ICL 


14 by 20 


112 


107 


IC 


14 b}^ 20 


112 


128 


IXL 


14 by 20 


112 


13s 


IX 


14 by 20 


112 


156 


IXX 


14 by 20 


112 


176 


IXXX 



—92— 



r 



Comparison Between Steam Pressure 
and Steam Temperature 



Pressure in lbs. per 
sq. inch 


Temperature Fahr. 


O 


212 


I 


214 


2 


219 


3 


222 


4 


224.4 


5. 


227 


6 


229 


7 


232 


8 


23s 


9 


238 


lO 


240 


II 


242 


12 


244 


13 


246 


14 


248 


I'S 


250 



-93— 



We are Designing and Consulting 
Engineers 

for the Meat Packing and Canning 
Industries. We also manufacture and 
furnish all machinery and equipment for 
packing houses and canning factories. 
We solicit your correspondence, and 
will give same special attention. 

Experts in Every Department 



THE BRECHT COMPANY 

Established 1853 
Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 

Branches: 

DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 

BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 



-94- 



Mince Meat Press 




This machine has a capacity of 25 to 30 cakes per minute, 
and requires about 2 H. P. to operate it. 

The moulds can be made to make any size cake up to one 
pound. 

All the working parts that come in contact with the mince 
meat are made of bronze metal. 

The gears are cut from solid metal. 

It is provided with tight and loose pulley, 24 inches in 
diameter, four-inch face. 

Should make about fifty revolutions per minute. 

If it's a machine or apparatus used by the Canner of Meats, 
we can furnish it. 



THE BRECHT COMPANY 

Established 1853 
Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 

BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 

—97— 



Can Washer and Sterilizer 




This is an entirely 
automatic, compact 
little rotary machine, 
placed so as to inter- 
cept and treat the 
empty cans as they fall 
through the usual can 
chutes to filling ma- 
chines. The cans are 
first subjected to a 
thorough washing by 
geyser spray of water 
under pressure, and 
then steamed in sim- 
ilar way and passed 
hot to the filler. 

Capacity as desired, 
up to 5,000 cans per 
hour. 



Four of the machines were used throughout the season of 1907 at the 
plant of the Gibson Canning Co., Gibson, 111. — to which Company we can 
refer you. 

The accumulating dross and dirt removed from apparently clean cans 
was something truly remarkable — (much of this was saved and is available 
as an exhibit) — to say nothing of the soluble matter removed in the operation. 

AH packers know of the unavoidable dust and particles of trash, etc., 
that find their way into empty cans, and the constant opportunities for 
unmentionable abuse to which they are subject during handling and storage, 
and must realize at once that this is one of the greatest aids to sanitary 
packing introduced in the movement for pure and sanitary canned goods. 
Further Particulars and Price on Application 

THE BRECHT COMPANY 

Established 1853 

Main Offices and Factoriea: ST. LOUIS 

Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 

BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 

—98— 



Universal Exhauster 




View Showing Machine Uncovered 

This machine will handle any size and any shape of can up to and in- 
cluding gallons without change, and can be furnished for any capacity desired. 

Labeling Machine 



--/LT-irTT.A ' / -L ...11 — .1^ 




This machine puts labels on tin cans in a perfectly satisfactory manner' 
Its thoroughly established reputation and exceptional merit are so wel' 
known as to make a detailed description of the machine unnecessary. This 
machine is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity in every well appointed 
canning factory. 

Capacity, from 2,o()() to 4,000 per hour. Floor space, 3x12 feet, in- 
cluding runways. Shipping weight, about 250 pounds. 

THE BRECHT COMPANY 

Establislied 1853 

Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 

Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 

BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 

—99— 




Our Main Offices and Factories, St. Louis 



The above is a bird's-eye view of our great main plant in St. Louis, 
which covers almost an entire city block, and contains more than 
600,000 feet of floor space. 

This plant is equipped throughout with the most modern machinery, 
and devoted to the manufacture of machinery and appliances used in the 
meat industry and the working up of its by-products. 

Our experts in every department are not only familiar with the 
mechanical part of the business, but also possess the technical knowl- 
edge necessary for the practical operation of packing houses, lard 
refineries and canning factories. 

Correspondence solicited and given careful attention. 



THE BRECHT COMPANY 



Established 1853 
Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
Branches: DENVER NEW YORK 

BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 

—100— 



SAN FRANCISCO 



